Love and Sword [Complete] - Chapter 31 (End)

Volume 11, Chapter 11: The Slaughter of the Immortal Palace.

Brilliant fireworks lit up the night sky. On this New Year's Eve, Jinling City remained sleepless. The members of the Heavenly Star Alliance wandered around, seemingly enjoying the spectacle. At midnight
, they arrived at a dilapidated courtyard in Jinling City. Hua Ruoxu and Hua Yuluan exchanged a glance, nodded, and swiftly pounced on the old man guarding the entrance. The old man, without any reaction, had already fainted.
Following the map, Hua Ruoxu easily found the entrance, lifting a stone to reveal a three-foot square opening. Just as Hua Ruoxu was about to jump down, Hua Yuluan had already jumped in first.
Hua Yuluan led the way, followed closely by Hua Ruoxu, then Ximen Lin leading thirty-two disciples of the Love Pavilion, with Hua Feimeng, Zhao Changkong, and Huang Yingying bringing up the rear. Ouyang Bing'er and Zhao Wan'er led the fifteen experts from Snow Mountain to bring up the rear. The members of the Heavenly Star Alliance remained calm, but Ouyang Bing'er's face was frosty, and her eyes flashed with a cold, sharp light. There was a considerable distance from the entrance to the main hall of the Immortal Palace. Although there weren't many guards along the way, there were still dozens, but none of them had even had a chance to cry for help before they were already dead. However, most of them didn't die at the hands of Hua Yuluan at the front, but rather at the hands of Ouyang Bing'er at the rear. This showed how intense Ouyang Bing'er's killing intent was; perhaps it was because she had endured for so long and finally had a chance for revenge.
"Enemy..." A loud shout finally broke the silence below, but the person still died before finishing the shout. However, he had fulfilled his duty; in any case, his shout was enough to alert the others.
Although he hadn't seen anyone yet, Hua Ruoxu could already hear hurried footsteps coming from all directions. A moment later, people blocked their way, but he hadn't expected the first to appear to be Feng Ping, followed by dozens of disciples from Piaoxue Manor.
"Brother Hua, it's you?" Feng Ping was also surprised to see Hua Ruoxu.
"Brother Feng, I don't want to explain further, please don't stop me!" Hua Ruoxu said in a deep voice.
"Brother Hua, I'm sorry. Although I know I can't stop you, I still have to do what I should do." Feng Ping gave a bitter smile, his voice becoming low and bitter. "It's better to die at Brother Hua's hands than at someone else's."
"Junior brother, I'll take care of it." Hua Yuluan said softly. Before she finished speaking, she had already thrust her sword at Feng Ping. The sword strike was silent yet as fast as lightning. The blade was almost touching him, and the powerful sword energy seemed to pierce his chest at any moment. Feng Ping used almost all his strength to retreat dozens of feet, finally managing to avoid this fatal blow. However, a chill ran through his heart. Although Feng Ping was once listed among the top martial arts masters, he had actually been removed from the list after marrying Xue Piaopiao. While his martial arts skills were decent, he could only be considered a first-rate master. His ability to climb the list was primarily due to his lack of ties. A person with no ties and high martial arts skills is difficult to deal with, but a prodigal son with a family is no longer worth considering. Moreover, given Hua Yuluan's current skill level, few could rival her.
"Kill!" Ouyang Bing'er shouted, charging towards the disciples of Piaoxue Manor. The Snow Mountain Sect members followed closely behind. Ximen Lin hesitated briefly, then waved to the Qinglou disciples. Sixteen couples then pounced on the pitiful Piaoxue Manor disciples. Screams erupted. Ouyang Bing'er's sword had just pierced one man's heart when she prepared to strike again, only to find there was almost no one left to kill, except for Feng Ping, who was struggling under Hua Yuluan's sword. With lightning speed and a faint sound of wind and thunder, her sword pierced Feng Ping, seemingly unleashing all her resentment with this single strike.
"Piao Piao," Feng Ping slowly closed his eyes. His gentle smile seemed to reappear before him. He knew he was about to die; he couldn't escape this sword. But he was content to have lived with his beloved woman for so long.
A moment later, he opened his eyes again, because he didn't feel the pain of a sword piercing him. He then noticed Ouyang Bing'er staring intently at Hua Ruoxu.
"Hua Ruoxu, what do you mean?" Ouyang Bing'er said angrily. She was about to kill Feng Ping with her sword, but unexpectedly, a sword appeared out of nowhere, blocking her attack. And the owner of this sword was none other than Hua Ruoxu.
"Brother Feng, take Miss Xue and leave this place," Hua Ruoxu sighed softly.
Feng Ping stood there blankly, speechless for a long time, while Hua Ruoxu ignored him and went straight inside.
*** *** ****
Feng Guoyun and all the experts from the Immortal Palace headquarters had gathered in the main hall. Before Feng Guoyun could even receive a report from his subordinates, a group of people filed into the main hall.
"Feng Guoyun, your end has come!" Hua Ruoxu coldly glanced at Feng Guoyun.
"Hua Ruoxu, is this all you people are capable of?" Although Feng Guoyun was inwardly shocked, he remained defiant.
"Feng Guoyun, your idea of setting up a Celestial Palace has little to do with me. It's just a pity you shouldn't have killed my child. Today, I will make you pay for that innocent child's life." Hua Ruoxu's eyes flashed with cold light as he stared intently at Feng Guoyun, trying to discern any unusual expression on his face. "
Young Master Hua, the grievances have their source, and the debts have their debtors. It was Feng Yundong who killed your son, and you've already killed him. Don't you think it's a bit excessive for you to come looking for revenge?" Elder Feng, also known as Feng Yunqi, interjected. "
They're all in cahoots. There's nothing more to say. Today, I will avenge my master!" While the two were still talking, Ouyang Bing'er couldn't hold back any longer. Her clear and melodious voice had barely reached everyone's ears when Ouyang Bing'er's beautiful figure lunged at Feng Yunqi.
"So you're that girl from the Divine Palace!" Feng Yunqi's expression changed slightly. Upon hearing this, several Immortal Palace disciples who had initially wanted to shield him from Ouyang Bing'er hesitated to step forward. These were the remaining disciples of the Divine Palace, and they already knew the power of the Divine Palace's Holy Maiden; they didn't want to risk their lives. Thus, Feng Yunqi had no choice but to deal with Ouyang Bing'er personally.
The prelude to the great battle had begun. Zhao Wan'er, dressed in flowing white robes, lightly waved her hand, sending several palm strikes towards the Third Elder, Yun Lei Dian. These were traitors of the Divine Palace, the culprits who had killed her senior sister; naturally, they were the first to be dealt with.
Xue Mingfeng had just taken a step forward when eight Qinglou disciples rushed forward, surrounding him. Feng Yunpiao and her daughter, Xue Piaopiao, watched the scene before them with tense expressions.
"Mother, why hasn't Brother Feng returned?" Xue Piaopiao asked her mother anxiously.
"He...he might have gone out on business," Feng Yunpiao stammered. Although the lie wasn't very convincing, she had no other choice. She couldn't very well tell her daughter that her husband was dead, could she?
Hua Cuo hesitated for a long time before finally taking a few steps forward, only to find someone blocking his way—his beloved daughter, Hua Feimeng.
"Father, forgive your unfilial daughter!" Hua Feimeng said softly. Although she didn't really intend to do anything to Hua Cuo, only wanting to pester him, he was still her father, and as a daughter, it wouldn't be appropriate to attack her father.
Everyone else was embroiled in the battle, almost everyone involved. On the Immortal Palace side, apart from Feng Guoyun not intervening, and Feng Yunpiao and her daughter Xue Piaopiao watching from the sidelines, everyone else had found their opponents. On the Tianxing Alliance side, Hua Ruoxu, Hua Yuluan, and Ximen Lin were all observing.

Hua Ruoxu glanced around, taking in the entire situation. Zhao Wan'er and Ouyang Bing'er, as the two generations of Holy Maidens of the Divine Palace, indeed possessed martial arts worthy of their status. Ouyang Bing'er clearly had the upper hand against Feng Yunqi, but she seemed too eager for revenge, appearing overly impatient, and thus unable to do anything to Feng Yunqi for the time being. Zhao Wan'er, fighting three against one, was clearly at a disadvantage, but her current situation was the opposite of Ouyang Bing'er's. Her face was serene, and her every move was calm and composed. Although the situation was unfavorable, she seemed to be in no danger.
Xue Mingfeng, despite his high level of martial arts, was completely helpless against the siege of eight disciples of the Love Pavilion, gaining no advantage whatsoever. Hua Cuo and Hua Feimeng seemed to be having a casual chat, more like a father and daughter. Yue Tianying was being forced into a frantic state by Zhao Changkong, while the other disciples were clearly no match for the experts from the Love Pavilion and Snow Mountain. In less than half a quarter of an hour, they were suffering continuous casualties and screams of pain.
Hua Ruoxu, Ximen Lin, and Hua Yuluan exchanged glances, nodded simultaneously, and then suddenly shouted in unison, leaping away. Feng Guoyun's heart tightened instantly, gathering all his strength to prepare for battle. In his view, the three of them were definitely coming to deal with him.
However, he was wrong. The three of them did not rush towards him at all, but instead launched a thunderous attack on Feng Yunqi!
"Palace Master, run!" Feng Yunqi roared before his death. He dodged Ximen Lin's Thousand Hands Guanyin Palm, dodged Hua Ruoxu's Love Sword, and even Hua Yuluan's sword only left a wound on his body, far from fatal. However, as he dodged the attacks of these three, Ouyang Bing'er's sword, filled with resentment, pierced his chest and pierced through his body.
Tears streamed down Ouyang Bing'er's face. She had finally avenged her mother. She looked at Hua Ruoxu with gratitude; she knew he could have killed Feng Yunqi, but he had given her the chance so she could personally exact her revenge. However, she wouldn't stop there. Killing Feng Yunqi was only the first step in her revenge. There were also the three elders, Feng Guoyun, and others who had originally belonged to the Divine Palace but had betrayed it.
With Feng Yunqi dead, the Immortal Palace was thrown into chaos. Seeing the situation was dire, Feng Guoyun actually escaped. He took two steps back from the back of the hall, then suddenly slapped his back, creating a large hole. Before anyone could react, Feng Guoyun had vanished inside. Hua Ruoxu didn't chase after him, knowing someone was waiting for Feng Guoyun there; he believed he couldn't escape.
"Ruoxu, show no mercy. Let's finish this quickly," Ximen Lin said, frowning. Hua Ruoxu nodded, and the three of them continued their previous tactics, attacking the same person simultaneously. Their target was the remaining three elders of the Immortal Palace, who were currently locked in a fierce battle with Zhao Wan'er and Ouyang Bing'er.
When Ouyang Bing'er's sword pierced the last of the three, the fight, more of a massacre than a decisive battle, was nearly over. Of course, many people from the Immortal Palace were still alive. The Hua family members were mostly spared, at most having their martial arts crippled. As for Piaoxue Manor, only Xue Mingfeng and his wife, along with Xue Piaopiao, remained. Of course, Feng Ping should also be there, but he hadn't appeared during the fight.
"Manor Lord Xue, I don't want to kill you. You may leave," Hua Ruoxu waved his hand, and the eight disciples of Qinglou withdrew. The fight was finally over.
"Where's Brother Feng? What did you do to him?" Xue Piaopiao cried out, her voice filled with panic. She wasn't stupid; Feng Ping hadn't appeared for so long, and almost everyone here was dead. She knew with a moment's thought that something must have happened to him.
"Piaopiao, I'm alright!" Feng Ping's deep voice came from behind the crowd, and Xue Piaopiao rushed over, throwing herself into his arms.
"Brother Feng, take Miss Xue away." Hua Ruoxu sighed softly, and Feng Ping nodded, gently embracing Xue Piaopiao.
"Hua Ruoxu, you killed my brother! I won't let you get away with this!" Feng Yunpiao suddenly shouted angrily at Hua Ruoxu. "
Feng Yunpiao, if it weren't for Youyou, you wouldn't be alive now." Hua Yuluan sneered. "If you don't want to die, get out of here. I, Hua Yuluan, don't have that kind of patience!"
Feng Yunpiao seemed to want to say something more, but Xue Mingfeng stopped her. Xue Mingfeng gave Hua Ruoxu a deep look, then pulled Feng Yunpiao and disappeared into the large hole behind the hall.
"Brother Hua, Feng Ping will always remember your great kindness to Feng Ping!" Feng Ping clasped his hands in a fist salute to Hua Ruoxu, then, pulling Xue Yunpiao, turned and vanished into the hole. Hua Ruoxu tried to stop them, but it was too late.
"Husband, something terrible has happened! Ya Qian is guarding over there. Knowing her personality, she definitely won't let anyone go!" Zhao Wan'er came to Hua Ruoxu's side and said anxiously.
"I'll go check!" Hua Ruoxu said hurriedly, secretly cursing. What if Gong Ya Qian killed Xue Mingfeng as well? That would be terrible.
**** *** ****
Feng Guoyun had completely lost the aura of a high and mighty Palace Master. He only knew that he might not see the sun rise tomorrow. He was able to sit in this position of Palace Master largely because of Feng Yunqi's support, but now that Feng Yunqi was dead, what could he rely on? Feng Yunqi's death was something he never expected, or rather, the attack by the Tianxing Alliance today was also unexpected. However, he didn't know that Feng Yunqi's death wasn't unjust. In the world, probably few could withstand the combined attack of Hua Ruoxu, Hua Yuluan, Ximen Lin, and Ouyang Bing'er. If there was any injustice, it was that Feng Yunqi didn't choose to flee. If he had escaped before Hua Ruoxu and the others made their move, perhaps he would have had a chance of survival. He was too confident, too confident he wouldn't die so easily, and thus, he died because of his overconfidence.
Feng Yunqi appeared in the wilderness outside the city, but hesitated, unsure which direction to take. However, when he randomly chose a direction to leave, he found he couldn't go any further. A palace-dressed girl appeared before him, and he was surrounded by a group of women in plain clothes.
"Gong Yaqian?" A chill ran through Feng Guoyun. He knew Gong Yaqian was hailed as a martial arts genius in the Divine Palace. Feng Yunqi's rebellion had failed because of her appearance, and now, she was very likely to become his demise.
"Feng Guoyun, it seems the Immortal Palace is left with only you, all alone?" Gong Yaqian smiled, a sweet smile that appeared somewhat eerie in the dark night.
Feng Guoyun remained silent. He used the most direct method, quickly identifying the weakest point in the encirclement and attacking it. He knew that expecting Gong Yaqian to let him go was utterly wishful thinking.
Unfortunately, he underestimated not only the group of women in white, but also Gong Yaqian. What he considered the weakest point could still withstand his attacks, and Gong Yaqian's slender, white hands, draped in white gauze, had already silently appeared behind him. However, Feng Guoyun was no ordinary person. He sensed the subtle wind behind him, sprang to his feet, and dodged the palm strike. But when he landed back on the ground, he was still in the center of the encirclement, and Gong Yaqian was looking at him with a mocking tone.
However, Feng Guoyun's face immediately lit up with joy because he saw Xue Mingfeng. At this moment, Gong Yaqian also discovered that there were still some escapees from the Immortal Palace.
"Father, let's... let's not worry about it, okay?" Xue Piaopiao pleaded.
"Piaopiao, don't forget, Guoyun is your cousin!" Feng Guoyun scolded.
"So what if he's my cousin? He always makes us at Piaoxue Manor do things for him. When has he ever thought about us?" Xue Piaopiao said aggrievedly. The usually obedient girl finally couldn't help but talk back.

Volume 11, Chapter 12: A Daughter's Thoughts

Gong Yaqian and dozens of women in white robes attacked Feng Guoyun together. Their white robes fluttered, and palm strikes danced in the air. Feng Guoyun seemed completely overwhelmed by the barrage of palm strikes. Xue Mingfeng finally stopped standing idly by, letting out a deep shout and joining the fray.
Unfortunately, Xue Mingfeng couldn't save Feng Guoyun. Gong Yaqian's martial arts were undeniably superb, but these women in white robes were all trained by Zhao Wan'er. Although they hadn't received all of Zhao Wan'er's true teachings, each one was not to be underestimated, and when they fought together, they were even more formidable.
After taking several blows from the women in white robes, Feng Guoyun's body became increasingly clumsy, and his will to live gradually faded. He was in despair. And when even his last shred of will to live was gone, what could stop Gong Yaqian's deadly jade palm strikes?
"Xue Mingfeng, Young Master Hua spared you because of your daughter, yet you still come to die. Don't blame me for that." Gong Yaqian coldly looked at Feng Guoyun's corpse on the ground, then flicked her wrist and struck Xue Mingfeng, speaking coldly.
*** *** ****
Hua Ruoxu saw Gong Yaqian still fighting Xue Mingfeng from afar and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Gong Yaqian hadn't gone so far as to kill her father and mother.
"Stop!" Hua Ruoxu quickly arrived in front of everyone, his sword parting the two, forcing Gong Yaqian and Xue Mingfeng apart, and shouted.
"Let them go." Hua Ruoxu said to Gong Yaqian, but while Gong Yaqian agreed, Feng Yunpiao seemed to disagree. She didn't care about the current situation at all. Even though she knew they were no match for Gong Yaqian and Hua Ruoxu, she still relentlessly demanded that Xue Mingfeng avenge her elder brother and nephew. As a result, Gong Yaqian got annoyed and wanted to kill them all to end it all.
Hua Ruoxu, of course, couldn't allow this to happen. While stopping Gong Yaqian, he transmitted a message to Xue Mingfeng.
"Master Xue, I know you've always believed Youyou isn't your biological daughter, and I can tell you that Youyou is indeed not your daughter. But do you want to know who your biological daughter is?" Hua Ruoxu transmitted.
Xue Mingfeng's body visibly trembled, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He looked at Hua Ruoxu, then at Gong Yaqian beside him. After a long while, his expression became somewhat agitated.
He turned back to Hua Ruoxu, his eyes full of inquiry. Hua Ruoxu looked at Gong Yaqian, then at Xue Mingfeng, and nodded slightly.
"Master Xue, this matter isn't suitable for revealing the truth. I hope you understand, and I also hope that you won't have any more conflicts with the Divine Palace in the future." Hua Ruoxu transmitted again.
"I understand. I'll leave now. Please take good care of my daughter, Young Master Hua." Xue Mingfeng's tone was somewhat agitated. He glanced at Gong Yaqian with some reluctance before resolutely turning away.
"Let's go!" Xue Mingfeng said in a deep voice. Feng Yunpiao was taken aback, about to speak.
"You'd better shut up! You'd better understand that you're a member of the Xue family, not the Feng family!" Xue Mingfeng glared at Feng Yunpiao before she could speak.
"Brother Hua, farewell!" Feng Ping bowed respectfully to Hua Ruoxu from afar.
"Farewell!" Hua Ruoxu said softly, but inwardly sighed, thinking: It's better if we never meet again.
*** *** ***
"Young Master Hua, what did you say to Xue Mingfeng? Why did his attitude change so much all of a sudden?" After Xue Mingfeng and his companions had completely disappeared, Gong Yaqian looked at Hua Ruoxu with surprise and asked.
"It's a secret that cannot be revealed." Hua Ruoxu smiled slightly; he dared not tell the truth.
“Fine, I won’t tell you then. I’ll go back and ask my martial uncle. Let him ask you, and see if you’ll tell me then.” Gong Yaqian smiled playfully; she seemed to be in a good mood.
“Wan’er won’t ask me questions I don’t want to answer.” Hua Ruoxu smiled.
“Young Master Hua, I have a question.” Gong Yaqian stared at Hua Ruoxu’s face and asked, “Do you really like your martial uncle?”
“Of course I do. Let’s not talk about that now. We should go back, or they’ll worry.” Hua Ruoxu felt slightly embarrassed, then turned and started walking.
“But I think you’re getting revenge on Senior Sister.” Gong Yaqian walked alongside him, her tone somewhat unconvinced.
“I really like Wan’er. If you don’t believe me, Miss Gong, there’s nothing I can do.” Hua Ruoxu’s tone was somewhat dissatisfied, and he also felt a bit guilty. Although he now liked Zhao Wan’er, his initial purpose was indeed to get revenge on Ouyang Bing’er.
“So, do you still like Senior Sister now?” Gong Yaqian seemed quite curious, but Hua Ruoxu had rarely interacted with her before, and most of the time they were on opposing sides, so he didn’t really understand her.
“Miss Gong, why are you asking this? You're still young, don't worry about these things.” Hua Ruoxu found it hard to resist her questioning.
“Young Master Hua, I'm not young at all. I'm only a little bit younger than Sister Youyou.” This time it was Gong Yaqian’s turn to be dissatisfied. “I’m doing this for your own good. I’ll secretly tell you, Senior Sister truly likes you.”
“How could Bing’er like me? Don’t joke around.” Although Hua Ruoxu hoped it was true, he felt that Ouyang Bing’er didn’t seem to like him at all.
“If you don’t believe me, fine. Don’t regret it later, or you’ll say I didn’t tell you.” Gong Yaqian pouted. “I know Senior Sister best, and you don’t believe me? Humph!” Gong Yaqian wrinkled her cute nose, quickened her pace, and walked ahead of Hua Ruoxu. Her figure was beautiful and charming. A gust of wind blew, and her black hair rose with the wind. She still walked gracefully, but it was as if a fairy was dancing.
Hua Ruoxu suddenly realized that Gong Yaqian was actually quite adorable. Although she used to be breathtakingly beautiful, in his mind, she had always been a vicious girl. Coupled with her repeated use of the Youyou girls to threaten him, he naturally didn't have much affection for her. However, the current Gong Yaqian, having shed her scheming and stopped her antagonism towards Hua Ruoxu, seemed much more endearing. Hua Ruoxu, however, didn't know which was her true nature.
*** *** ****
The Immortal Palace's main altar was destroyed, and almost all the experts, including the Palace Master, were wiped out. The various branch altars below would naturally scatter quickly. The Immortal Palace could be said to be completely destroyed. Zhao Wan'er originally wanted to take advantage of the situation to absorb the power of the Immortal Palace's branch altars, but Hua Ruoxu stopped her, because he wanted to prevent Zhao Wan'er from rebuilding the Divine Palace.
That evening, Hua Cuo led the Hua family away, but he seemed preoccupied, his face filled with worry. The Immortal Palace headquarters hadn't found Lan Xuerou, suggesting she might not have been captured by Feng Guoyun. Hua Ruoxu was also fairly certain that, if Bai Xinjing wasn't lying, his biological son was still alive.
The next day was New Year's Day. Hua Yufeng sent her men to spread the news that the Immortal Palace Master was dead and the headquarters had been destroyed. She also warned the various branch altars of the Immortal Palace that if they didn't disband voluntarily, they would face the same fate as the headquarters. After doing all this, Hua Yufeng finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had felt quite tired these past few days; now that the Immortal Palace's affairs were finally resolved, she could relax a bit.
Suddenly, she heard Zhu Zhu's playful laughter coming from the corridor. Hua Yufeng frowned, opened the door, and went out. She saw Zhu Zhu holding one person's hand in each hand—it was naturally Han Xue and Xue Youyou.
Just then, Hua Yufeng noticed that Hua Ruoxu was also walking over. A plan quickly formed in her mind.
"Junior brother, take Xiaoxue and Youyou away from Zhuzhu, and make sure Zhuzhu doesn't get entangled with them," Hua Yufeng transmitted to Hua Ruoxu.
Hua Ruoxu paused slightly. He couldn't let them be together? It seemed there was only one way.

"Xiaoxue, Youyou." Hua Ruoxu hurried over to the three girls.
"Young Master, are you taking Xiaoxue out to play?" Hanxue immediately broke free from Zhuzhu's grasp and threw herself into Hua Ruoxu's arms.
"Xiaoxue, let's not go out to play. Let's go back to our room, okay?" Hua Ruoxu's hands playfully pinched her cheeks. Hanxue blushed, understanding Hua Ruoxu's intentions.
"But Young Master, Zhuzhu said it's a lot of fun outside today." Hanxue hesitated.
"I'll take you to play next time." Hua Ruoxu pulled her into his arms, then put his other arm around Xue Youyou, and turned to walk back.
Zhuzhu seemed stunned for a moment, hesitated slightly, and then followed.
Hua Ruoxu hadn't expected Zhu Zhu to actually follow him. Just as he was considering what to do, Hua Yufeng transmitted her voice again: "Junior brother, don't let her come with you."
Hua Ruoxu hurriedly entered the room, then embraced the two women and rushed into the bedchamber. Zhu Zhu stepped in, glanced at them, and let out a scream before running away.
Hua Ruoxu then began to savor the beautiful bodies of the two delicate women, spending half a day in trance until nightfall.
*** *** ****
In the evening, Zhao Wan'er sent someone to invite Hua Ruoxu over. Hua Ruoxu had just come out of the room with Xue Youyou and Han Xue.
The person who came was Ouyang Lan from the Snow Mountain Sect. Hearing that Zhao Wan'er had sent her to invite him, Hua Ruoxu naturally wouldn't refuse. However, Han Xue was somewhat unhappy. She had been hoping that Hua Ruoxu would accompany her outside to play, but before she could even speak, Hua Ruoxu was invited away by someone else.
Han Xue was delicate, so although the three of them were supposed to be indulging in debauchery together, she actually spent most of the time receiving Hua Ruoxu's advances. The afterglow of their lovemaking hadn't completely faded, and Han Xue looked incredibly alluring. Even the usually well-behaved male disciples of the Love Pavilion couldn't help but glance at her a few more times. It was hard to imagine that she was still just a girl not yet eighteen. Who knew how charming she would become once she matured a bit more?
***** *** ****
Zhao Wan'er had prepared a table of food and wine in her bedroom, and she and Hua Ruoxu were drinking together.
"Husband, Wan'er doesn't usually drink, but today I can only have a small cup with you." Zhao Wan'er seemed a little tipsy after only a small cup, and two red clouds quickly rose to her cheeks.
"Wan'er, did you call me here for something?" Hua Ruoxu got up and sat down next to Zhao Wan'er, putting his arm around her slender waist.
"Husband, Wan'er is very happy today. I finally avenged my senior sister." Zhao Wan'er turned her face, gave Hua Ruoxu a charming smile, and said softly.
"Wan'er, how are you going to thank me?" Hua Ruoxu looked at her with a hint of malice; she looked even more alluring now.
"Husband, Wan'er is at your mercy tonight." Zhao Wan'er gave Hua Ruoxu a seductive look, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered in his ear, "Husband, Wan'er will serve you well tonight!"
That night, Hua Ruoxu experienced a kind of complete pleasure from Zhao Wan'er that he had never felt before. Zhao Wan'er, as she herself had said, served him wholeheartedly until Hua Ruoxu fell into a deep sleep in the early morning.
*** *** ***
When Hua Ruoxu opened his eyes, it was already noon. Zhao Wan'er was no longer by his side, and he was already dressed neatly. He propped himself up with one hand and saw a beautiful figure sitting in front of the dressing table. However, he quickly realized that this person was not Zhao Wan'er, but Ouyang Bing'er.
"Bing'er, what are you doing here? Where is Wan'er?" Hua Ruoxu felt something was amiss and sat up, throwing back the covers.
“My martial uncle told me to watch over you here.” Ouyang Bing’er slowly stood up, turned around, and looked at Hua Ruoxu with a complicated expression.
“Where’s Wan’er? Where did Wan’er go?” A strong sense of unease welled up in Hua Ruoxu’s heart. He suddenly stood up and walked to Ouyang Bing’er, asking anxiously.
“My martial uncle went back.” Ouyang Bing’er didn’t dare to look Hua Ruoxu in the eye, lowered her head, and said softly.
“Goed back? Goed back to where?” Hua Ruoxu grabbed Ouyang Bing’er’s shoulder.
Ouyang Bing’er raised her head, hesitating to speak.
“Tell me quickly! Where did Wan’er go?” Hua Ruoxu shook Ouyang Bing’er’s body and growled in a low voice.
“You’re hurting me.” Ouyang Bing’er said softly. It was unclear what she was thinking, but she let Hua Ruoxu hold her like this, neither struggling nor resisting.
“Bing’er, tell me! Where is Wan’er?” Hua Ruoxu released her hand, but still pressed her for an answer.
"Are you really that concerned about your martial aunt?" Ouyang Bing'er asked softly.
"Do you know how worried I was when I thought something had happened to you?" Hua Ruoxu roared at Ouyang Bing'er, "Wan'er is my wife, of course I care about her!"
"Martial aunt just went back to the Goddess Nunnery. She said that you will always be her husband, but she can no longer be your wife and serve you." Ouyang Bing'er said after a moment of silence, her face showing a mixture of joy and resentment.
"Where is the Goddess Nunnery?" Hua Ruoxu's tone softened considerably. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief; now that he knew where Zhao Wan'er was, he wasn't so worried.
"But my martial aunt told me not to take you there. She also said that she's a nun, and it's wrong of her to be so attached to worldly affairs these days. She doesn't want to continue getting involved in worldly matters." Ouyang Bing'er said softly.
"When did Wan'er leave?" Hua Ruoxu cursed inwardly, then asked after a moment's thought.
"She left this morning. It's impossible to catch up now." Ouyang Bing'er understood what Hua Ruoxu meant.
"How far is it from here to the Goddess Temple?" Hua Ruoxu asked again.
"It takes about seven days by normal walking distance," Ouyang Bing'er said.
"Why is it so far?" Hua Ruoxu murmured, frowning.
"My martial aunt left you a letter," Ouyang Bing'er said hesitantly.
"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Hua Ruoxu glared at Ouyang Bing'er.
Ouyang Bing'er's expression changed slightly. She turned and went out, returning to the room a moment later, handing Hua Ruoxu a letter, then turned and left.
Husband:
Wan'er has left. Although she left without saying goodbye, you love Wan'er so much, you certainly won't blame me. I know you don't want me to rebuild the Divine Palace, so this time I'll listen to you and let the Divine Palace disappear from the martial world. Although I'm a little worried about Bing'er and Ya Qian, I know you will take care of them for Wan'er. After reading the letter, which was written by
Wan'er, the woman her husband loved most , Hua Ruoxu felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. He was once again certain that Zhao Wan'er was a true enchantress. She was gone, yet the letter was filled with tender affection; that was bad enough, but she also forbade Hua Ruoxu from going to see her, claiming she was a nun. Hua Ruoxu decided to ask Ouyang Bing'er where the Goddess Nunnery was; he was determined to find her and bring her back. However, just as he was about to leave, Ouyang Bing'er entered, followed by Gong Yaqian. "Young Master Hua, we've come to bid you farewell," Ouyang Bing'er suddenly became very polite to Hua Ruoxu. "Farewell? Where are you going?" Hua Ruoxu was somewhat bewildered.

"We're going back to the Snow Mountain," Ouyang Bing'er said softly. Gong Yaqian, standing beside her, remained silent, but her expression was somewhat strange.
"You're not allowed to go back!" Hua Ruoxu said irritably, feeling annoyed. Zhao Wan'er had just left, and Ouyang Bing'er was also saying she wanted to leave. However, he hadn't expected that he didn't seem to have the right to force Ouyang Bing'er to stay, after all, they didn't have any intimate relationship.
"Why can't I go back?" Ouyang Bing'er seemed to be getting angry as well, saying resentfully.
"Senior Sister, you should discuss it properly with Young Master Hua first. I'll go out first." Just as Hua Ruoxu was about to speak, Gong Yaqian winked at him, said this with a smile, and then ran out, closing the door behind her.

Volume 11, Chapter 13, Love's Return

"Weren't you still going to kill Nangong Feiyun? Why are you going back to the Snow Mountain now?" Hua Ruoxu was speechless at Ouyang Bing'er's question, and after thinking for a moment, he changed his reason.
“You said you would kill Nangong Feiyun, so there’s no need for me to wait here.” Ouyang Bing’er couldn’t bear Hua Ruoxu’s burning gaze and lowered her head.
“Can’t you stay?” Hua Ruoxu’s voice was low.
“Master’s revenge has been avenged, and there’s nothing here worth staying for, so naturally I’m leaving.” Ouyang Bing’er turned around, took two slow steps towards the door, and said softly.
“Don’t you really have any attachment to this place?” Hua Ruoxu asked, feeling very uncomfortable.
Ouyang Bing’er was silent for a long time before finally uttering two words: “No!”
Hua Ruoxu suddenly felt a surge of anger and a pang of heartache. So you really have no feelings for me at all?
Hua Ruoxu pulled a white veil from his robes, the very veil Dai had once worn on Ouyang Bing’er’s face. He had forcibly taken it from her and kept it safe.
“Your veil, here you go!” Hua Ruoxu said resentfully. Since she had no attachment to him, he didn’t want to keep her things and suffer in vain.
Ouyang Bing'er turned around with some confusion. Seeing the veil in Hua Ruoxu's hand, a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes, and her tone seemed to carry excitement and joy: "Didn't you say you lost it? You still kept it?"
"Of course I kept it, but since you're going back to the Snow Mountain, I have no choice but to return it to you." Hua Ruoxu felt a pang of sadness; with Ouyang Bing'er leaving, he feared he would never see her again in this life.
A strange expression flashed in Ouyang Bing'er's eyes. She stared intently at Hua Ruoxu, remaining silent for a long time.
"You took the veil off, so now you're returning it to me. Of course, you should help me put it back on." A sweet and charming smile appeared on Ouyang Bing'er's face, a sly glint quickly flashing in her beautiful eyes.
*** *** ***
Hua Ruoxu slowly walked behind Ouyang Bing'er, gently unfurling the veil, which slowly covered her delicate face.
The two were very close, and a sweet, intoxicating fragrance wafted into Hua Ruoxu's nostrils. He suddenly stopped putting the veil on her, his hands hovering there. They stood there silently, neither moving.
"Help me put it on!" Ouyang Bing'er said softly, breaking the almost suffocating silence.
Hua Ruoxu gently fastened the veil, but his hands remained still. Suddenly, he yanked the veil off, placed his hands on her shoulders, and with a slight pull, turned her body around. He lowered his head and kissed her. Ouyang Bing'er let him kiss her cherry lips, neither flinching nor resisting. She gently embraced Hua Ruoxu's back, responding shyly. After
a long while, their lips parted. Ouyang Bing'er's cheeks were flushed, her face as delicate and beautiful as a begonia, her almond eyes filled with spring, her watery eyes brimming with shyness.
"Bing'er," Hua Ruoxu softly called to the beauty in his arms.
Ouyang Bing'er seemed extremely shy. She responded softly in a voice barely audible, then buried her head in Hua Ruoxu's arms, refusing to look up.
*** *** ***
At the Tianxing Alliance, Ximen Lin hurriedly found Hua Yufeng, holding a letter in her hand.
"Yufeng, before Wuying left, she sent someone to give me a letter three days later, which is today. Take a look," Ximen Lin said to Hua Yufeng. "Wuying said we should investigate this place. I don't know what she means."
"Wuying hasn't returned yet. I think something might have happened to her," Hua Yufeng said, frowning.
"I hope Ye Bu'er won't do anything to her. After all, they are father and daughter," Ximen Lin sighed. Although she said this, her face was full of deep worry. It seemed she was very worried that something might have happened to Ye Wuying.
"Sister Lin, don't worry too much. I'll send someone to investigate the place Wuying mentioned first," Hua Yufeng comforted Ximen Lin.
*** *** ***
Demon Palace.
"Palace Master, I have urgent news to report!" Lu Yunchang arrived anxiously outside Su Dai'er's palace.
"Elder Lu, what's the matter that's causing such a commotion?" Su Dai'er frowned slightly; it was the first time she had seen Lu Yunchang so flustered.
"Reporting to the Palace Master, I have thoroughly investigated the details of everyone in the Flying Cloud Hall these past few days. I have discovered that every single one of them is a disciple from the original 108 branch altars and the four main halls of the main altar. Based on my preliminary assessment, even if the disciples of the four main halls of the main altar were to unite, they would probably not be a match for the Flying Cloud Hall!" Lu Yunchang said in a deep voice. "Most of the experts in the Demon Palace's main altar, including the various protectors, apart from the four protectors by my side, are all confidants of Elder Nangong, and they are now all on Protector Nangong's side."
"No wonder they never take my orders seriously. So that's how it is." Su Dai'er's tone suddenly turned unusually cold. "It seems that the father and son have been planning this for quite some time."
"Palace Master, it is my fault for being useless." Lu Yunchang's face was filled with shame. Su Dai'er had entrusted him with a heavy responsibility, hoping that he could control Nangong Xuanyuan's power. Unexpectedly, not only had he failed to restrain Nangong Xuanyuan, but he had also allowed his power to expand to its maximum extent.
“Elder Lu, it’s not your fault. You’ve only been responsible for protecting my personal safety all along, while Nangong Xuanyuan has been in charge of all the affairs of the palace. Therefore, almost everyone is his confidant, which is normal. You don’t need to blame yourself.” Su Dai’er smiled faintly, her expression returning to calm. “Elder Lu, what do you think they, father and son, are trying to do?”
“Palace Master, in my opinion, Elder Nangong at most just hopes that you won’t interfere in the daily affairs of the palace. Perhaps Elder Nangong is afraid that you will be overworked, so…” Lu Yunchang said in a low voice, but he probably didn’t even believe his own words, let alone Su Dai’er.
“Elder Lu, you don’t need to speak well of them.” Su Dai’er interrupted him, a few cold glints flashing in her eyes. “Let’s go to Feiyun Hall. I want to see what they’re really up to!”
“Yes, Palace Master, I’ll go and make preparations!” Lu Yunchang withdrew.
“Liu Yun, go and invite Elder Sun over!” Su Dai’er thought for a moment and said. Liu Yun responded and turned to leave.
*** *** ***
Flying Cloud Hall. The Demon Palace originally did not have a Flying Cloud Hall; its establishment was entirely orchestrated by Nangong Xuanyuan and Nangong Feiyun without consulting Su Dai'er.
Nangong Feiyun was currently in his study, where a portrait of the girl who so closely resembled Jiang Xiaoyue hung on the wall. Nangong Feiyun looked at her with a mixture of love and hate, his handsome face gradually contorting, becoming somewhat ferocious.
Half an hour later, Nangong Feiyun seemed to have returned to normal and slowly walked out. At this moment, a man in tight-fitting clothes hurriedly came to greet him.
"Master, someone has delivered two boxes. I dare not open them rashly. Please come and inspect them!" the man in tight-fitting clothes said respectfully.
Nangong Feiyun nodded slightly, and the man in tight-fitting clothes quickly led the way, guiding Nangong Feiyun to the main hall.
There were two large wooden boxes in the hall. Nangong Feiyun walked up to them and patted them, producing two muffled thuds.
"Open them both," Nangong Feiyun said, taking a step back. The man in tight-fitting clothes did as he was told and opened the boxes.
"Master, these seem to be crossbows, but they are somewhat different from ordinary ones. There is also a letter. Please read it!" the man in tight-fitting clothes said in a low voice.
"Have your men learn to use these things within seven days. The instructions are at the bottom of the box. Come see me in seven days!" There was no signature, but the handwriting was delicate.
Nangong Feiyun clearly knew who this person was, because a hint of joy appeared on his face.

Nangong Feiyun's expression immediately changed, for he saw a group of people who shouldn't be there. Su Dai'er carried the Demon Harp, with Sun Yunyan and Liu Yun standing on either side of her, while Lu Yunchang and the Four Gentlemen followed behind them. The eight of them filed in.
"Your subordinate greets the Palace Master and the two elders!" Nangong Feiyun quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities, Protector Nangong. I've come to borrow some of your Feiyun Hall's men to do something for me," Su Dai'er stated her purpose directly.
"How many men does the Palace Master need?" Nangong Feiyun was slightly taken aback and quickly asked.
"Not too many, about a hundred will suffice," Su Dai'er said, handing Nangong Feiyun a plain sheet of paper. "Here is a list; just give me these names."
Nangong Feiyun quickly scanned the densely packed names, a slight chill running down his spine. These were all the most elite men in his Feiyun Hall; if they were transferred, the entire Feiyun Hall's strength would decrease by at least half.
"What business does the Palace Master need? Perhaps I could take care of it for you?" Nangong Feiyun said with a fawning smile.
"Guardian Nangong, this matter is of utmost importance. The Palace Master must handle it personally. Therefore, you should have these people accompany the Palace Master," Lu Yunchang said in a deep voice, his tone carrying an air of quiet authority.
"Reporting to the Palace Master, most of the people you requested are out on business. How about I prepare some others for you?" Nangong Feiyun's eyes darted around as he spoke in a low voice.
"I only need these people, now!" Su Daier coldly snorted, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"Palace Master, they are indeed not here. If you insist on finding them, please wait a few days. I will order them to return as soon as possible," Nangong Feiyun said, showing no intention of yielding.
"Palace Master, perhaps we should wait a few days?" Lu Yunchang suggested softly from the side.
Su Daier remained silent, only staring coldly at Nangong Feiyun.
"I don't have time to wait for them to return, but I definitely need some people today. Since those people aren't here, have everyone else come with me!" Su Dai'er said coldly. "Protector Nangong, I don't think you're going to tell me there's no one else here, are you?"
"The Palace Master is truly clever. There's no one else here besides me and him." Nangong Feiyun actually lied through his teeth.
"Protector Nangong, I hope you don't forget your identity. You're completely ignoring the Palace Master's existence, which is no different from betraying the Demon Palace!" Lu Yunchang said angrily. Even though he was determined to stop the conflict between Su Dai'er and Nangong Xuanyuan and his son, he couldn't help but feel indignant at Nangong Feiyun's arbitrary behavior.
"Elder Lu, you've seen it now. It's not that I'm disregarding our sibling relationship." Su Dai'er sighed softly, her tone suddenly turning cold, her voice carrying clearly to every corner, "From this moment on, Nangong Feiyun is expelled from the Demon Palace, and Feiyun Hall is immediately disbanded!"
Su Dai'er gently plucked a string, and with a sharp sound, the man in tight-fitting clothes beside Nangong Feiyun suddenly let out a scream and collapsed to the ground.
"Those who disobey orders, this man will be their example!" Su Dai'er coldly uttered these words, then slowly turned around. "Let's go."
*** *** ***
A violent upheaval erupted in the martial arts world of Jinling. Nangong Feiyun of the Demon Palace led the Feiyun Hall in a rebellion against the Demon Palace. However, he still operated under the Demon Palace's banner, claiming that Su Dai'er was obsessed with personal feelings and that her actions had completely deviated from the Demon Palace's principles. He also said that Su Dai'er disregarded the interests of the Demon Palace disciples for her lover, Hua Ruoxu, and that she no longer cared
about the Demon Palace disciples. She was no longer qualified to be the Demon Palace Master, and he, Nangong Feiyun, was the new Demon Palace Master. He called on all the Demon Palace disciples to submit to him, promising that he, Nangong Feiyun, would surely bring the Demon Palace to its most glorious moment. Su Dai'er was somewhat surprised by Nangong Feiyun's actions, yet also somewhat expected them. However, she still couldn't understand how Nangong Feiyun had incited the Demon Palace disciples to dare to rebel against her. But when she finally understood, she felt a strange anger. Although the Demon Palace calls itself the Demon Palace, it hasn't actually committed many heinous acts. Perhaps because the Demon Palace Master has always been a woman, the Demon Palace has always strictly forbidden its disciples from insulting women. Unexpectedly, this rule became one of the bargaining chips used by Nangong Feiyun to incite his subordinates to rebel. He claimed he could give his disciples whatever wealth and beautiful women they desired; robbery, rape, and plunder were all permitted, and he even encouraged his subordinates to disobey their sect, committing murder, arson, robbery, and theft of money and women. What Su Dai'er found even more unbearable was that Nangong Feiyun considered Hua Ruoxu
his greatest enemy, claiming that the Heavenly Star Alliance possessed vast wealth and the most beautiful women, and that once Hua Ruoxu died, all of this would belong to them. Nangong Xuanyuan hadn't appeared yet, but Su Dai'er already believed that he was actually manipulating everything behind the scenes, and the last vestiges of fatherly affection in her heart gradually vanished completely. Meanwhile, Nangong Feiyun sent another letter to Su Daier, informing her that Hua Ruoxu's son was still in his hands and warning her to be careful when using the Demon Harp, as the defenseless infant might be the first to die.
"Despicable and shameless!" Su Daier cursed angrily. Although she could control the Demon Harp's attack range to a small extent, she couldn't control it with many people around. Once the Demon Harp was unleashed, anything living within a certain range would be affected. While ordinary martial arts masters could resist the Demon Harp for a while, an infant would certainly die upon hearing it. This clearly made Su Daier hesitant to act rashly.
*** *** ***
Although Hua Yufeng and Hua Ruoxu had long been aware of Nangong Feiyun's ambitions, this sudden turn of events still caught them somewhat off guard.
Ouyang Bing'er and Gong Yaqian arrived at the Tianxing Alliance with fifteen experts from the Snow Mountain, claiming they were there to help deal with Nangong Feiyun. However, no one knew that Ouyang Bing'er had finally sided with Hua Ruoxu. Hua Yufeng was somewhat surprised to hear that Zhao Wan'er had left, but of course she wouldn't refuse to let Ouyang Bing'er and the others stay at the Tianxing Alliance. After all, having more top-tier experts like Ouyang Bing'er and Gong Yaqian would greatly enhance their strength.
That night, Hua Yufeng managed a weak smile when Hua Ruoxu entered, but she still couldn't hide the sadness on her face.
"Feng'er, what's wrong?" Hua Ruoxu asked softly, noticing that Hua Yufeng's expression was off.
"Junior brother, Wu Ying provided us with some very useful clues. I've found the Poison Sect," Hua Yufeng said softly.
"Feng'er, this should be good news. Why are you still so upset?" Hua Ruoxu asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Thirteen disciples of the academy sacrificed their lives to investigate this place." Hua Yufeng could no longer hold back her grief and threw herself into her lover's arms, tears streaming down her face. She sobbed as she said, "It's all my fault!"
"Feng'er, how can you blame yourself?" Hua Ruoxu also felt very sad. These thirteen people could be said to have died because of him, but at this moment he could only comfort Hua Yufeng. These people were all her subordinates, and of course she was the one who was the most heartbroken.
"I should have realized this might be related to the Poison Sect. If I had made some preparations, this wouldn't have happened," Hua Yufeng shook her head and said. "I also insisted they investigate thoroughly before telling me the results. If they had reported back after the first disciple presented the evidence, the other twelve wouldn't have died. It's all my fault."
"Feng'er, the dead are gone, our grief is useless, but we can't let them sacrifice in vain," Hua Ruoxu gently patted her back and said softly, "Feng'er, don't worry, I will avenge these fallen academy disciples."
That night, Hua Ruoxu went to the Poison Sect alone. Hua Ruoxu himself was not afraid of poison, and the Poison Sect's most potent weapon was poison. Encountering someone who was not afraid of poison and had high martial arts skills was obviously fatal to them.

Volume 11, Chapter 14: Sudden Change in the Heavenly Star.

Hua Yufeng was now extremely anxious, and the Hua family was beginning to fall into chaos. The women were all gathered together, their faces filled with worry. And there was clearly only one person who could cause them all to worry so much.
Hua Ruoxu has disappeared. He's been missing for three whole days. After going to the Poison Sect that night, he never returned to the Hua Manor.
"Miss, will Young Master... will he..." Hanxue looked at Hua Yufeng with teary eyes, and the other women also turned their gazes to her. At this moment, they were all somewhat at a loss, placing their hopes solely on Hua Yufeng.
"You don't need to worry too much. Junior Brother will be alright. I sent people to thoroughly investigate the Poison Sect. They've been completely wiped out, and they probably didn't put up much resistance." Although Hua Yufeng was uncertain, she knew she couldn't show it on her face. Otherwise, the Hua Manor could easily descend into chaos. She had to reassure them first. These pampered young women might seem well-behaved now, staying in the Hua Manor, but once they confirmed that Hua Ruoxu was in trouble, the entire martial arts world would likely be thrown into chaos.
Su Dai'er also arrived at the Hua residence two days ago, originally intending to inquire about the child from Hua Ruoxu. However, upon learning of Hua Ruoxu's disappearance, she stayed at the Hua residence as well. Ouyang Bing'er was in the most awkward position; her relationship with Hua Ruoxu was not public, and she was too embarrassed to speak of it herself. The other women could freely express their concerns, but she could only keep them to herself.
With Hua Ruoxu's martial arts skills, even if he couldn't successfully kill his enemy, he could easily roam the world if he wanted to. Even if he encountered a powerful enemy and was captured, there should at least be a spectacular battle. But in reality, Hua Yufeng couldn't find a single clue.
"Sister, are you sure Junior Brother will be alright?" Although Hua Yuluan trusted her sister, she was more worried about her husband; she couldn't bear the pain of losing him again.
"I think Junior Brother might have left with someone else willingly," Hua Yufeng said after thinking for a moment. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind. Willingly? Who could make Hua Ruoxu leave with him willingly?
"Don't worry, I'm going somewhere, I'll be right back!" Hua Yufeng said quickly and rushed outside. She suddenly thought of someone; only she was most likely to have caused Hua Ruoxu's sudden disappearance.
Not long after Hua Yufeng left, Thirteen Sister from Qinglou hurriedly entered the hall, her eyes quickly scanning the room before landing on Ximen Lin.
"Sister Ximen, where's Miss Feng?" Thirteen Sister called sweetly, but her tone was anxious.
"She just went out, Thirteen Sister, is something wrong?" Ximen Lin asked gently, also deeply worried about Hua Ruoxu's disappearance.
"Sister Ximen, Miss Zhu Zhu left. I followed her for a while but lost her." Thirteen Sister looked at the people in the hall, feeling she could speak up, so she did.
*** *** ***
Half an hour later, Hua Yufeng returned, but her expression was even more grave.
"Miss, have you found the young master?" Hanxue asked anxiously as soon as she saw Hua Yufeng enter.
"Sister, how is it?" Hua Yuluan also asked anxiously.
"Don't worry, Junior Brother must have gone somewhere to play with Sister Tianxing." Hua Yufeng smiled, though it was somewhat forced. She wasn't lying; she genuinely believed Hua Ruoxu and Hua Tianxing had left together, since Hua Tianxing had also disappeared. She felt that only Hua Tianxing could have vanished from Jinling silently with Hua Ruoxu. However, she already knew Hua Tianxing's secret, and she didn't know what had happened to him or why he had disappeared with Hua Ruoxu. Therefore, although she suspected Hua Ruoxu and Hua Tianxing were together, she didn't feel relieved at all; instead, she was even more worried.
Hua Yufeng patiently persuaded the women to return to their rooms, telling them not to worry and to wait patiently for a few days. She assured them Hua Ruoxu would return soon. After the women finally disappeared from the hall, Hua Yufeng returned to her room, feeling utterly exhausted. She murmured in her heart, "Sister Tianxing, please don't do anything rash!"
"Yufeng." Ximen Lin pushed open the door and entered.
"Sister Lin." Hua Yufeng forced a smile and responded softly.
"Zhu Zhu is missing. Do you think Ruoxu's disappearance might be related to her?" Ximen Lin made no attempt to hide her concern for Hua Ruoxu; all her worry was clearly etched on her face.
"Zhu Zhu is missing?" Hua Yufeng suddenly stood up.
*** *** ***
Ye Bu'er's face was ashen. He had received news that the Poison Sect was now a thing of the past, and his two trusted lieutenants were now one injured and one dead. Even at his peak, he couldn't contend with Hua Ruoxu, let alone now. But he was still unwilling to accept defeat. He didn't want to hide anymore because he found Hua Ruoxu to be terrifying. No matter where he hid, no matter how well he concealed himself, Hua Ruoxu could find him. Of course, he was unaware that all of this was Hua Yufeng's doing.
Just as Ye Bu'er was preparing to openly return to Jinling with his men in a desperate gamble, good news strengthened his resolve: the news of Hua Ruoxu's disappearance had finally spread and reached Ye Bu'er's ears.
He still wanted to persuade his beloved daughter to help him one last time. Years ago, he had painstakingly arranged for Ye Wuying to learn the art of poison from the Poison Sect. Of course, at that time, Ye Wuying didn't know that the person who taught her poison was a member of the Poison Sect. Ye Bu'er told her then that to uphold justice in the martial arts world, she should learn more, and the art of poison was one of them. At that time, Ye Wuying didn't doubt her father. The intelligent girl had learned most of the Poison Sect's methods of applying poison. Later, she discovered that the poison techniques she had learned seemed to be exactly the same as those of the Poison Sect. When she questioned Ye Bu'er with some doubt, Ye Bu'er told her that poison techniques were like martial arts; although the schools were different, the essence was the same. Ye Wuying naturally believed him.
However, after Ye Bu'er finally revealed his true colors, especially after Ye Wuying came to the Tianxing Alliance and learned more about Ye Bu'er, she finally realized that her poison skills actually came from the Poison Sect. So, based on her memory, she secretly observed for a while and finally discovered that there was a place in Jinling that should be related to poison. She dared not investigate too carefully for fear of alerting the enemy, since many people in the Poison Sect knew her. So she left a letter and told Ximen Lin.
If Ye Bu'er had heeded her advice and returned within three days, the letter wouldn't have reached Ximen Lin's hands. However, Ye Bu'er instead placed her under house arrest. Ye Wuying had assumed that with the Poison Sect destroyed, Ye Bu'er would have less power to rely on, and thus, he might turn back. Unfortunately, she was wrong. When Ye Bu'er heard that she had betrayed the Poison Sect, he slapped her twice.
Ye Bu'er had barely stepped into Jinling when someone came to his door.
The visitor was a very beautiful young woman with a prestigious title: Princess Wushuang.
Ye Bu'er respectfully led Princess Wushuang to a quiet room. He knew this young woman was not to be neglected or offended.
Ye Bu'er wasn't stupid; he naturally knew the immense power behind Princess Wushuang. Even the largest sects had at most a few hundred or a thousand members, while the imperial cavalry of 100,000 could easily crush any sect into ruins. Although the imperial court has always refrained from interfering in the martial arts world, if Princess Wushuang were to suffer any mishap in the martial arts world, the imperial cavalry would surely sweep across it swiftly.
"I was unaware of Princess Wushuang's arrival. What are your orders?" Ye Bu'er asked cautiously. Considering himself a powerful and ruthless figure, it was probably unprecedented for him to be so polite to a young girl.

"I know you have a group of highly skilled subordinates, and your purpose in returning to Jinling this time is to deal with Hua Ruoxu." Princess Wushuang smiled slightly. "However, I also know that with your current strength, if you were to fight Hua Ruoxu head-on
, there would only be one outcome, because you are far from being his match." "You don't need to say anything. I'm here to tell you that I hope you and Nangong Feiyun will cooperate to deal with Hua Ruoxu. Of course, I will provide you with some necessary assistance." Ye Bu'er opened his mouth to speak, but Princess Wushuang stopped him first and continued, "As far as I know, you have cooperated before, and your common enemy is Hua Ruoxu. I hope you will not refuse."
"Princess, I wonder if this humble subject can consider it?" Ye Bu'er's mind raced. He was more surprised than ever before. He never expected that the famous Princess Wushuang would also be involved in this Jianghu struggle.
"This princess has no time for your consideration, and besides, this princess dislikes indecisive people." Princess Wushuang snorted coldly and turned to leave.
"Please wait, princess!" Ye Bu'er hurriedly said, "How dare I disobey the princess's orders? I will follow your commands."
"None of your men should leave this place. They should conserve their energy and await my next order." Princess Wushuang nodded in satisfaction, her tone much gentler. After speaking, she gracefully walked outside and disappeared from Ye Bu'er's sight in the blink of an eye. Ye Bu'er was stunned for a long time, almost wondering if it was all a dream.
*** *** ***
"Princess, just as you predicted, Ye Bu'er agreed." Although Mei'er had accomplished what the princess had asked, she didn't look happy at all.
"Of course he'll agree. Now that someone's willing to help him, he should be grateful for Heaven's favor." The princess turned her head. This time, she wasn't wearing a veil. If Hua Ruoxu saw this face, he would be shocked, because it was actually the adorable Zhu Zhu.
"Princess, I heard that Young Master Hua has disappeared. Mei'er wants to ask you, Mei'er wants to ask..." Mei'er stammered for a long time but couldn't get a clear answer.
"Mei'er, I know what you want to ask." Zhu Zhu's face no longer had the innocent and mischievous look she had at the Hua residence; she seemed much more mature. She sighed softly, "Hua Ruoxu's disappearance has nothing to do with me. It was truly an accident for me. Perhaps, Heaven really is helping us."
"Princess, you've been there for so many days. Do you even know what kind of person he is?" Mei'er seemed a little embarrassed, her face slightly flushed.
“I’ve barely spoken to him, and I don’t really know him,” Zhu Zhu shook her head. “But he seems pretty much the same as the legends say—charming and amorous, and very kind to the girls around him.”
“Princess, do you think something might happen to Young Master Hua?” Mei’er asked after a moment’s thought.
“How would I know? But I hope nothing bad happens to him,” Zhu Zhu said irritably.
“So, Princess, you don’t want him to die?” Mei’er suddenly exclaimed, looking at Zhu Zhu strangely.
“You brat, why are you yelling so loudly?” Zhu Zhu glared at her.
“Hehe, Princess, you can’t bear to kill him!” Mei’er’s face broke into a sly smile.
“You brat, always thinking nonsense!” Zhu Zhu tapped her head. “But he can’t die now. If he dies, it might not just be a chaotic martial arts world.” A hint of worry flickered in Zhu Zhu’s eyes as she spoke.
“Princess, don’t scare me. Is it really that serious?” Mei’er stuck out her cute little tongue.
“Hua Yufeng already suspects me. I think she’ll find out my true identity soon. If Hua Ruoxu really dies at this time, she will definitely take revenge. If she can’t find the real murderer, she will definitely target everyone who is suspicious, including me,” Zhu Zhu said with some worry. “Once they start their crazy revenge, it will be a disaster for everyone.”
“Princess, are they... are they really that powerful?” Mei’er looked closely at Zhu Zhu’s expression. It didn’t seem like she was lying, so she believed her somewhat, but she was even more doubtful.
“Mei’er, a beautiful woman obsessed with revenge is terrifying, and what’s more, there’s more than one,” Zhu Zhu said softly. “Su Dai’er’s demonic zither can instantly take the lives of hundreds of people, Xue Youyou’s seductive arts are extraordinary, enough to make all men fall at her feet, Han Xue is the best doctor, but also the best poisoner, Hua Yuluan’s swordsmanship is enough to take the enemy’s head in the midst of ten thousand troops, Hua Yufeng has an intelligence organization that I don’t know about, comparable to the Imperial Guard, and then there’s that mysterious woman, who is said to be Hua Ruoxu’s sister, but even the people in the Hua family don’t seem to know her very well. When I came into contact with them myself, I truly discovered how terrifying they are. If they go crazy because of Hua Ruoxu’s death, the consequences are unimaginable.”
“Princess, then, then why did you ask Ye Bu’er and Nangong Feiyun to join forces against Young Master Hua?” Mei’er asked cautiously after a long pause.
"This is my last resort. If Nangong Feiyun and Ye Bu'er can join forces to defeat the Tianxing Alliance, then we naturally won't have to worry. Nangong Feiyun and Ye Bu'er are much easier to deal with than Hua Ruoxu," Zhu Zhu said calmly.
"Then, Princess, do you think Nangong Feiyun and Ye Bu'er are a match for Young Master Hua?" Mei'er seemed determined to get to the bottom of this.
"Actually, I basically don't expect them to defeat the Tianxing Alliance," Zhu Zhu said after a moment of contemplation.
"Princess, please spare Mei'er! Just tell me what you're really thinking!" Mei'er cried out, clutching her hair. She had finally been completely bewildered by her beloved princess.
“Hua Ruoxu’s mysterious disappearance has greatly impacted the Tianxing Alliance, making it arguably their weakest point. Ye Bu’er and Nangong Feiyun are currently the only two forces capable of confronting Hua Ruoxu and willing to do so. Only by getting them to join forces can we have any chance of defeating the Tianxing Alliance,” Zhu Zhu said with a smile. “However, I don’t really believe they can defeat the Tianxing Alliance. So, there’s another objective: to send Nangong Feiyun and Ye Bu’er’s men to their deaths. Although Nangong Feiyun is arrogant, he’s not stupid. That’s why I gave him so many crossbows. Only in this way can we increase his confidence and make him willingly go to his death.”
“Princess, wouldn’t that still allow Young Master Hua to unify the martial world by himself? Isn’t that contrary to your wishes?” Mei’er, though dizzy, still retained a sliver of clarity.
"If this is fate, what can I do? I've already done my best!" Zhu Zhu's face darkened slightly, and she sighed softly.
*** *** ***
Today is the seventh day since Hua Ruoxu disappeared. Hua Ruoxu still hasn't returned. The Hua family mansion has been silent for many days, devoid of the cheerful laughter of young girls. Xue Youyou and Hanxue, who used to visit everywhere, have started staying obediently in their rooms. The once carefree girls now have a deep worry on their faces, and their eyes have become melancholy.
Dark clouds obscured the bright moon, and the bustling city of Jinling returned to silence. Occasionally, a few barks could be heard, sounding particularly loud in the quiet night. Suddenly, countless agile figures appeared on the once empty streets.
Outside the Tianxing Alliance, countless dark figures suddenly pounced, and a whooshing sound filled the air as countless small crossbow bolts shot towards the pair of Tianxing Alliance disciples guarding the gate.
Tianxing Dance! The young man and woman simultaneously unleashed this sword technique, retreating swiftly into the house while letting out a clear whistle to warn the others. Figures
surged, lights suddenly blazed, and the previously silent Tianxing Alliance erupted into chaos. Dozens of white-clad figures rushed out, the disciples of Qinglou having reacted first. The sound of wind whistling through the air was incessant as a deluge of small, dark crossbow bolts rained down from the front, left, right, and above. The speed and force of the bolts were unprecedented. They used almost all their strength to parry, the crisp sounds echoing endlessly. Countless bolts fell to the ground after colliding with their swords, yet the relentless barrage showed no sign of stopping. The Qinglou disciples quickly huddled together, back to back, blocking the bolts coming from all directions; they had no chance to retaliate. A painful groan reached everyone's ears, causing their hearts to tighten. They knew someone had been injured. The groans grew louder, indicating more and more people were being wounded. They had been positioned back-to-back, forming small groups to defend themselves; if one was injured, the others were more likely to fall. A clear shout rang out, and a faint purple figure emerged—it was Hua Yuluan. The Hua family was finally alerted. Hua Yuluan's longsword drew a perfect arc. The crossbow bolts aimed at her seemed to be drawn by a strange attraction, remaining within her arc and not falling, but rather clinging to her sword. Then, with a flick of her wrist, Hua Yuluan launched dozens of crossbow bolts with lightning speed at the archers on the walls to the left and right. Screams erupted, and dozens of men fell, struck by arrows. At the same time, Ximen Lin, with silver hair and dressed in white, flew to the side of several wounded Qinglou disciples. Facing the barrage of arrows, her face remained calm. A cold shout escaped her cherry lips, and suddenly, thousands of slender hands materialized around her. The incoming crossbow bolts appeared in her hands, and with a flick of her wrists, the bolts flew towards the opposite side, followed by screams of agony. The crossbows then suddenly stopped firing, whether from exhaustion or some other reason, it was unclear. "Xiaoxue, quickly check their injuries. Qingyue Feimeng, you are responsible for protecting Xiaoxue. Those who are not injured, each take one injured person into the inner room, quickly!" Hua Yufeng saw the situation clearly at a glance and hurriedly said. "Nangong Feiyun, what are you hiding behind? I know it's you!" Su Daier suddenly spoke, her tone cold and angry. With a bang, the door was suddenly shattered, and a person walked in with his head held high. It was Nangong Feiyun, followed by a group of men in tight-fitting black clothes. "Nangong Feiyun, I didn't expect you to be so impatient to come and die so soon," Hua Yufeng said coldly, her tone already tinged with anger. "Miss Feng, a total of thirty-seven disciples of Qinglou were injured, twelve of whom were seriously wounded. Fortunately, Miss Hanxue was there, otherwise they would probably not have escaped death. However, now these thirty-seven disciples are probably unable to fight back," Huang Yingying hurriedly walked to Hua Yufeng's side and whispered, her face not looking good. The disciples of Qinglou had never suffered such a setback. Hua Yufeng's expression also changed slightly. She hadn't expected the power of these crossbow bolts to be so great, but she wasn't too worried. The disciples of Qinglou were divided into two groups, each with sixty-four people. The ones who had just come out to fight were only one group, so although their strength had been greatly reduced, it wasn't fatal. "Yingying, go and look after them first. Tell them not to come out for the time being. We can handle it," Hua Yufeng said in a low voice. Huang Yingying responded and went inside. "Who will emerge victorious? Time will tell." Nangong Feiyun smiled slightly, a confident expression on his face. "Hua Yufeng, what use are you few, no matter how high your martial arts are? I think you should just wait to die, hahaha!" At the end, Nangong Feiyun burst into laughter. Seeing that the Tianxing Alliance disciples had all retreated inside, leaving only Zhao Changkong and a few women from the Hua family, Nangong Feiyun naturally assumed that the Tianxing Alliance had suffered heavy casualties, and couldn't help but feel extremely smug. "Nonsense!" Before Hua Yufeng could speak, Su Daier couldn't hold back any longer. She gently plucked the strings of her zither, and Nangong Feiyun suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, a look of agony appearing on his face, his expression slightly contorting. "Su Daier, I advise you not to act rashly, otherwise, Hua Ruoxu's precious son will die by your zither!" Nangong Feiyun looked at Su Daier with vicious eyes, speaking hatefully, then waved his hand, and a person carrying an infant appeared before him. Nangong Feiyun snatched the baby and shouted, "Kill!" At this command, countless agile figures pounced on the women. It's no wonder Nangong Feiyun was so arrogant; the vast arena was now filled with his men. On the Tianxing Alliance side, only Hua Yuluan, Hua Yufeng, Ximen Lin, Xue Youyou, Su Daier, and Zhao Changkong remained. Hua Feimeng and Jiang Qingyue were inside tending to the wounded Qinglou disciples. Ouyang Bing'er, Gong Yaqian, and the Xueshan Sect experts hadn't yet emerged. During the previous barrage of crossbow bolts, Nangong Feiyun hadn't clearly seen who was injured; perhaps he assumed everyone not outside was wounded. Hua Yufeng, for reasons unknown, retreated with Xue Youyou and Su Daier to the inner hall entrance, leaving Hua Yuluan, Ximen Lin, and Zhao Changkong to face the hundreds of experts. Su Dai'er gently plucked the strings again, and a series of melodious notes pierced the night sky. "Dai'er, be careful of the child!" Hua Yufeng hurriedly said. "Sister Yufeng, I only notified Elder Lu and Sister Yunyan to come here to help. These people are all elites from the former Demon Palace, and I'm afraid we won't be able to handle them." Su Dai'er said with a light smile, and then suddenly pressed down hard on the strings. One of the men fighting Hua Yuluan suddenly screamed and fell to the ground. "Go and kill her!" Nangong Feiyun suddenly pointed at Su Dai'er and roared. As soon as his voice fell, dozens of experts rushed towards Su Dai'er. The clear, ringing notes of the zither rang out, accompanied by screams. Before they could even get close to Su Dai'er, they were already lying dead on the ground. Only Su Dai'er's forehead was slightly sweaty. Su Dai'er's killing was subtle and intangible, yet it intimidated the enemy. For a moment, no one dared to step forward. "Hurry up, what are you afraid of? If Su Dai'er doesn't die today, none of us will have a good life!" Nangong Feiyun seemed to have not expected that Su Dai'er would not be afraid of his threats and could even use the Demon Harp to kill people. He roared in exasperation. "Nangong Feiyun, today I will make you, this treacherous villain, get the retribution you deserve." A cold voice came out at this moment, and a beautiful girl walked out from inside. Beside her was another stunning girl in white palace dress. Behind them, thirteen men and two women walked out in order. Ouyang Bing'er and Gong Yaqian finally led the Snow Mountain experts to appear.

Before Nangong Feiyun could react, Ouyang Bing'er and Gong Yaqian had already joined the battle. Ouyang Bing'er went to Zhao Changkong's side, who was in grave danger, while Gong Yaqian and Ximen Lin joined forces to fight off the enemy. Hua Yuluan was still holding her own, her longsword already stained with the blood of dozens of people, but countless experts and weapons continued to attack her, and for a moment, she felt her hands were about to give way. Meanwhile, those who continued to attack Su Dai'er under Nangong Feiyun's coercion were stopped by the experts from the Snow Mountain, and Su Dai'er no longer used the Demon Harp.

The melee continued, and the situation on the field remained chaotic. Although the Tianxing Alliance was outnumbered, they were not at a significant disadvantage. Elite experts from the Yuanmo Palace were dying one after another under Hua Yuluan's sword. Ximen Lin, however, seemed too soft-hearted, injuring many but not many more. Ouyang Bing'er, on the other hand, was clearly much more ruthless, her swords aimed at the vital points of her opponents. No one was injured by her sword; they either managed to dodge or met their demise. Zhao Changkong, facing numerous experts, was somewhat powerless, defending more than attacking, and gradually began to falter. Gong Yaqian and her beloved senior sister were on the same side. Although she had no weapon, her jade palms were no less formidable; wherever her palm strikes landed, her opponents were either killed or injured.
*** *** ***
Sun Yunyan led her men on a hurried journey to the Hua Mansion, but unexpectedly encountered Fang Xia and Kunlun disciples on the way, blocking her path. Meanwhile, Lu Yunchang was forced to engage Nangong Xuanyuan in a life-or-death battle. He was furious; he never imagined that Nangong Xuanyuan would prevent him from rescuing Su Daier.
Xue Youyou's beautiful eyes darted around, showing a restless desire, but Hua Yufeng still stopped her. Su Daier wanted to use the Demon Harp again, but Hua Yufeng also stopped her, because she learned from Su Daier that concentrating the Demon Harp's attack power on a very small area or even on a single person would severely deplete her internal energy and mental strength.
Nangong Feiyun's face revealed a smug expression, for he could already see victory beckoning him. Hua Yuluan's attacks remained fierce, but her movements had noticeably slowed. Ximen Lin's expression had lost its initial ease, and Ouyang Bing'er and Gong Yaqian's movements also gradually slowed. Zhao Changkong was even more disheveled, his clothes torn in several places, but fortunately, his flesh was unharmed.
"Sister Yufeng, why don't you let them all come out?" Su Dai'er asked softly, somewhat puzzled. The Tianxing Alliance clearly had many people, so why were they only sending a few to fight so difficultly?
"Sister Dai'er, don't worry, you'll understand soon enough," Hua Yufeng said with a slight smile.
*** *** ***
In a tall building not far away, two young girls were observing the fierce battle.
"Princess, it seems the Tianxing Alliance is really finished; they all seem to be injured." These two were none other than Princess Wushuang Zhu Zhu and her maid, Mei'er.
"Mei'er, let's go back to the capital." Zhu Zhu seemed a little lost in thought, and it took her a while to say this.
"Princess, let's play a few more days, aren't you going to eliminate Nangong Feiyun and Ye Bu'er?" Mei'er snuggled against Zhu Zhu and acted coquettishly.
"No need, they're all going to die today." Zhu Zhu said softly.
"Ah? Princess, you, you're not joking, are you?" Mei'er was startled and stammered.
"Hua Yufeng has decided to wipe them out in one fell swoop, no one can save them now." Zhu Zhu sighed softly, "Poor Ye Bu'er, even at this point, he still wants to sit on the sidelines and watch the tigers fight, he's hopeless."
"Princess, look, Ye Bu'er isn't sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight, he's come out." Mei'er looked around, shook her cute little head, and pouted, "Princess, it seems like Nangong Feiyun and Ye Bu'er are going to wipe out the Tianxing Alliance."
Zhu Zhu shook her head, neither confirming nor denying, and didn't say anything more.
Mei'er, seeing that Zhu Zhu was ignoring her, became somewhat bored and continued to observe from the window.
"No, no way! How... how come there are still so many people? Aren't they injured?" Mei'er suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
*** *** ***
When Hua Yufeng saw Ye Bu'er appear, a barely perceptible smile appeared on her lips.
Ye Bu'er waved his hand lightly, and hundreds of swordsmen quickly joined the battle. At this moment, Hua Yufeng smiled, uttering a cold, indifferent sentence: "Leave them all here." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear. Nangong Feiyun and Ye Bu'er simultaneously felt a sense of foreboding rise from the bottom of their hearts.
Nearly a hundred young men and women in white robes appeared out of thin air. Jiang Qingyue and Hua Feimeng also floated out from the inner room. Xue Youyou's cherry lips parted slightly, letting out a giggle.
Xue Youyou exuded an astonishingly seductive aura with every gesture. Her sweet smile, alluring face, and perfectly proportioned yet bewitching curves delivered a powerful impact to all the men present. Even Zhao Changkong was momentarily stunned, almost halting his attack. Fortunately, he quickly recovered, turning his head away and looking away from her. However, the others weren't so lucky. By the time they reacted, Jiang Qingyue and Hua Feimeng beside Xue Youyou had already plunged their swords into their vitals.
"Don't look at her!" Nangong Feiyun shouted. Strangely, he seemed unaffected by Xue Youyou's seductive arts. His shout, however, had a significant effect. In an instant, everyone turned their attacks on others, while Nangong Feiyun himself simply lunged at Xue Youyou.
"Nangong Feiyun, you're so despicable!" Jiang Qingyue couldn't help but curse angrily. She intercepted Nangong Feiyun, but when her sword struck him, he actually used the baby in his arms to block it. Jiang Qingyue had no choice but to hurriedly withdraw her sword. At this moment, Nangong Feiyun attacked again, making her somewhat flustered. Fortunately, Hua Feimeng was there to block for her. However, in this way, Nangong Feiyun, fighting two against one, actually gained the upper hand.
The situation on the field had changed drastically. In terms of numbers, Nangong Feiyun and Ye Bu'er still had an absolute advantage. Nangong Feiyun's Feiyun Hall originally had nearly four hundred people. Although nearly a hundred had died or been injured so far, there were still about three hundred left. Most of the dead were those with weaker skills. Ye Bu'er also had nearly a hundred subordinates. Not only were they all highly skilled, but more importantly, they were all exceptionally fierce and fearless of death. They would not stop until they were about to die. The Heavenly Star Alliance only numbered around a hundred, but despite this, they were not at a disadvantage. Ye Bu'er was intercepted by Ximen Lin, while his subordinates were surrounded by sixteen pairs of Qinglou disciples in a strange formation. The two sides fought evenly, neither gaining the upper hand. Xue Youyou and Gong Yaqian, the former best friends, once again joined forces to fight against the enemy, weaving through the Feiyun Hall crowd like butterflies. The others scrambled to avoid her, treating her like a harbinger of doom, fearing that a moment's hesitation would mean certain death. Although the arena was large, the sheer number of people meant their space to dodge was very limited. Hua Yuluan and Ouyang Bing'er could appear at any moment and deliver a fatal blow.
"Ye Bu'er, where's Wu Ying?" Ximen Lin asked while fighting Ye Bu'er.
"Ximen Lin, where Wu Ying is is none of your business!" Ye Bu'er struck with a palm, the sound of thunder carrying with it his inner resentment. He had thought he would appear at the most opportune moment, since both the Tianxing Alliance and Feiyun Hall had suffered heavy losses, but the reality was far from what he expected.
*** *** ***
"Wow, Princess, look! It's Young Master Hua!" Mei'er suddenly exclaimed, her face breaking into a lovesick expression. "So handsome, so powerful!"
Zhu Zhu was also lost in thought. Beneath the vast sky, a figure in white robes slowly descended from mid-air. The long sword in his hand gleamed with a brilliant light, illuminating the dark night sky. His white robes fluttered, giving him an air of otherworldly grace.
Just as he was about ten feet from the ground, he suddenly stopped, hovering in mid-air. His sword began to swing casually, while he himself spun in a circle, accompanied by a chorus of screams.
*** *** ***
"Brother Ruoxu!" Su Dai'er murmured. Hua Yufeng's face lit up with ecstatic joy. Hua Ruoxu had returned in a way none of them had expected. He smiled freely at Hua Yufeng, then slowly landed beside Hua Yuluan.
"Senior Sister, let's go together!" Hua Ruoxu smiled gently at Hua Yuluan. Hua Yuluan nodded, her face beaming with uncontrollable joy, and her spirits seemed to have improved considerably. With husband and wife united, their strength could break metal; Hua Ruoxu and Hua Yuluan, working together, were enough to dominate the world. Who could rival them? (

Chapter 16, Volume 11, Love's Return)

Hua Ruoxu wore a faint smile, his eyes filled with tenderness—a tenderness that came from the heart. Yet, his gaze also possessed a detached quality, as if veiled by a thin mist, somewhat ethereal and uncertain. He moved freely and gracefully through the crowd, his eyes still filled with tenderness. Wherever he went, enemies collapsed silently, not even having time to scream.
They tried to escape, but before they could even take a step back, a sharp sword had already sliced across their throats, thin streams of blood gushing out, blooming into beautiful blood flowers in mid-air. The fierce battle, which had lasted for a moment, suddenly fell silent.
Nangong Feiyun suddenly realized that his men were all lying on the ground without a sound, while Ye Bu'er, while fighting Ximen Lin, also noticed out of the corner of his eye that the assassins he had painstakingly trained had all become the dead by someone else's sword.
"Sister Lin, let me take over!" Hua Ruoxu suddenly appeared beside Ximen Lin, her sword slightly flicking and thrusting, deflecting Ye Bu'er's attack for Ximen Lin. Ximen Lin silently nodded, withdrew her stance, and took a few steps back. Nangong Feiyun was still fighting Hua Feimeng and Jiang Qingyue, but his face had turned ashen, and his eyes were filled with terror.
"Ye Bu'er, you are disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust. Today, it is time for you to repent to your master," Hua Ruoxu said slowly, but his attacks did not slow down at all. In the blink of an eye, Ye Bu'er was forced into a state of panic.
Ye Bu'er's face suddenly turned ashen. Hua Ruoxu pierced his Qi Hai acupoint with his sword. In fact, this sword could have taken his life, but Hua Ruoxu ultimately did not kill him. He decided to spare his life, not for any other reason than that he was the only son of Zen Master Jueyuan. Although Zen Master Jueyuan could put righteousness before family, Hua Ruoxu also understood that deep down, Zen Master Jueyuan did not want Ye Bu'er to die. Otherwise, he would not have tried to escape by committing suicide.
"No!" Just as Hua Ruoxu's sword pierced Ye Bu'er, a delicate cry came from behind. A white shadow flashed, and a beautiful girl appeared beside Ye Bu'er.
"Young Master Hua, please don't kill my father!" The girl who suddenly appeared was Ye Wuying. Ye Wuying looked haggard and pleaded with Hua Ruoxu.
"Wuying, Ruoxu didn't kill your father, he just crippled his martial arts." Ximen Lin sighed softly. "Wuying, I've been worried about you. How have you been these past few days?"
"Senior Sister, thank you for your concern. I'm fine." Ye Wuying said softly. In fact, she could tell that Ye Bu'er's martial arts had only been crippled. She looked at Hua Ruoxu with gratitude. "Young Master Hua, thank you for showing mercy!"
"Miss Ye, I hope you can persuade him to be a good person from now on." Hua Ruoxu felt a surge of emotion and silently said in his heart, "Master, are you satisfied with my decision?"
"Thank you, Young Master Hua. Wuying knows what to do." Ye Wuying helped Ye Bu'er up and said softly.
Hua Ruoxu nodded, turned around and looked at Nangong Feiyun, when he suddenly heard Ye Wuying scream.
"Father, Father, what's wrong?" Ye Wuying cried out in anguish, tears streaming down her face, looking at Ye Bu'er, whose face was pale and blood was flowing from his seven orifices.
"It was...it was Hua Ruoxu who forced me to my death!" Ye Bu'er said haltingly, pointing at Hua Ruoxu with one finger. After saying this, he fell silent.
Ye Wuying stared blankly at Hua Ruoxu, her lips moving slightly, but she said nothing. After a moment, she picked up Ye Bu'er's body, turned around, and slowly walked outside. Ximen Lin watched her worriedly, wanting to follow, but stopped after taking a step.
"Sister Lin, you go and watch over her. We can handle things here." Hua Ruoxu gave a bitter smile. Ye Bu'er really wouldn't let him go even in death, saying such a thing before he died. Ximen Lin nodded and quickly got up to chase after him.
*** *** ***
“Meng’er, Sister Qing, stop!” Hua Ruoxu called softly, and the two women stopped as instructed. However, Nangong Feiyun was already surrounded, truly unable to escape.
Nangong Feiyun pressed one hand on the head of the baby in his arms, looking at Hua Ruoxu with a fierce gaze.
“Nangong Feiyun, all your men are dead. Shouldn’t you go and join them?” Hua Ruoxu smiled slightly, her tone somewhat cold.
“Hua Ruoxu, don’t forget, your precious son is still in my hands!” Nangong Feiyun appeared fierce but was actually weak.
“Nangong Feiyun, you can say what you want directly. I don’t have that much patience.” Hua Ruoxu looked at Nangong Feiyun with a contemptuous gaze and said slowly.
"Hua Ruoxu, you don't want your son to die, do you? Fine, then let this woman slap herself twice first!" Nangong Feiyun's resentful gaze swept around, finally landing on Ouyang Bing'er's beautiful face, then moving to Su Dai'er's face. "And you, you slap yourself too!"
"Nangong Feiyun, are you crazy?" Ouyang Bing'er said angrily, feeling somewhat bewildered.
"Haha, I am crazy, but do you know why I'm crazy?" Nangong Feiyun's handsome face twisted, and he suddenly laughed wildly, "Ouyang Bing'er, I've fallen to this state because of you, you wretched woman!"
"Nangong Feiyun, don't spout nonsense!" Ouyang Bing'er said angrily, "You're the one who betrayed the Divine Palace, I didn't force you!"
"Ouyang Bing'er, enough nonsense, if you don't slap yourself, I'll slap Hua Ruoxu's precious son!" Nangong Feiyun's expression suddenly returned to calm, and he seemed to have become composed.
"No! The child will be beaten to death! No!" A woman rushed out from inside; it was Jiang Xiaoyue. She threw herself at Hua Ruoxu's side, sobbing, "Bookworm, you have to save our child! You have to!"
"Nangong Feiyun, I advise you not to make exorbitant demands. If you hand over the child now, I can guarantee you'll go. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite," Hua Ruoxu said coldly, his eyes flashing with a sharp light
. "Hua Ruoxu, don't you care about your son? I'd rather die with your son!" Nangong Feiyun said viciously.
"Nangong Feiyun, don't try to threaten me with the child. If the child dies, we can just have another one," Hua Ruoxu said calmly. "Besides, we're not even sure whose child this is. Don't forget, Jiang Xiaoyue is your wife. How do I know if this child isn't yours?"
"Bookworm, what nonsense are you spouting? The child really is yours, really! Please save the child, I don't want the child to die, I don't want..." Jiang Xiaoyue seemed completely taken aback by Hua Ruoxu's words. Not only was she surprised, but Hua Yufeng and the other women were equally astonished, staring at Hua Ruoxu in disbelief.
"Hua Ruoxu, the child can't be mine!" Nangong Feiyun said through gritted teeth, his gaze shifting to Ouyang Bing'er. "I could never have a child, ask her if you don't believe me!"
"Nangong Feiyun, what did you say?" Ouyang Bing'er's face turned ashen, her beautiful eyes blazing with fury; she practically wanted to devour Nangong Feiyun.
"Don't you understand what I'm saying? If you weren't such a vicious woman, how could I, Nangong Feiyun, have become like this?" Nangong Feiyun said bitterly.
"Nangong Feiyun, explain yourself clearly!" Ouyang Bing'er was frantic. Nangong Feiyun's words were too ambiguous, causing Hua Ruoxu's expression to darken, and he looked at Ouyang Bing'er with questioning eyes.
"I...I really don't know what he's saying. I have nothing to do with him, really!" Ouyang Bing'er hurriedly defended herself to Hua Ruoxu.
"Yes, Young Master Hua, Senior Sister and Nangong Feiyun really have nothing to do with each other. Don't listen to this shameless guy's nonsense." Gong Yaqian also quickly spoke up for Ouyang Bing'er.

"I believe Bing'er." Hua Ruoxu looked at Ouyang Bing'er with a comforting gaze, then turned his head and coldly faced Nangong Feiyun. "Nangong Feiyun, it's a pity. I still can't be sure if this child is mine. I suspect the child was originally yours. I think there's no need for me to say so much nonsense. If you want to die with the child, I'll grant your wish."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hua Ruoxu slowly raised his sword and pointed it at Nangong Feiyun.
"No, no, the child is really yours! Believe me!" Jiang Xiaoyue grabbed Hua Ruoxu's hand holding the sword and looked at him with pleading eyes. Hua Ruoxu suddenly pointed a finger at her pressure point, causing her to fall into a deep sleep.
"Sister Qing, take her inside." Hua Ruoxu handed the unconscious Jiang Xiaoyue to Jiang Qingyue.
Hua Ruoxu stood proudly, staring intently at Nangong Feiyun. His sword, the Love Sword, blazed with a light over a foot long. It seemed he was truly determined to kill Nangong Feiyun, even at the cost of the child's life.
"Ouyang Bing'er, do you remember when you were thirteen, a disciple of the Divine Palace was executed for peeping at you bathing?" Nangong Feiyun seemed somewhat frightened and finally spoke.
Ouyang Bing'er blushed slightly, but more than that, she was astonished.
"Actually, he was just a scapegoat. The one who truly peeped at you was me, and you, this vicious woman, actually treated me so cruelly!" Nangong Feiyun became agitated as she spoke, her face flushed, as if she had suffered a great humiliation. "I was just curious for a moment, but you turned me into a monster, neither male nor female!"
Everyone present wore strange expressions. Hua Ruoxu also felt a bit amused and exasperated. Was Nangong Feiyun a eunuch?
"What nonsense are you spouting? Someone peeked at me while I was bathing, of course I had to kill him! I... how could I know it would be such a coincidence that he just happened to hurt... that... that place!" Ouyang Bing'er's face flushed red, her voice growing softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.
"Ouyang Bing'er, you clearly did it on purpose!" Nangong Feiyun roared, his eyes filled with resentment.
"You're a pervert and you blame others. Senior Sister was only thirteen and you went to peek at her, you deserve it!" Gong Yaqian said, pursing her lips. Little did she know that Ouyang Bing'er was already stunningly beautiful at thirteen, and at that time, Nangong Feiyun was full of youthful vigor and couldn't resist wanting to see Ouyang Bing'er's true face. Little did he know that he would happen to catch Ouyang Bing'er bathing when he went to peek.
"Nangong Feiyun, speaking of which, you are my own brother. I really don't understand why you hate me so much?" Su Dai'er suddenly sighed softly and said quietly.
"Why? We share the same parents, so why were you destined to be the Demon Palace Master from birth while I'm relegated to a mere ordinary Demon Palace disciple? You're high and mighty in the Demon Palace, showered with love and affection, while I have to climb up from the lowest rank! If it weren't for this, I wouldn't have had to become a spy in the Divine Palace. If I hadn't gone to the Divine Palace, I wouldn't have met that vicious woman, Ouyang Bing'er, and I wouldn't be in this state now!" Nangong Feiyun's voice grew louder with each sentence, until finally he roared out loud.
"Nangong Feiyun, if you have something to blame, blame your bad luck. What does it have to do with Dai'er? Besides, if you hadn't been so wicked, Bing'er wouldn't have hurt you. Ultimately, it's all your own doing," Hua Ruoxu coldly snorted. "Nangong Feiyun, my patience has its limits. You either leave the child behind and go, or you and the child perish together. There are no other options!"
"Fine, I'll give you the child!" Nangong Feiyun lowered his head in silence for a while before finally raising his head and speaking.
"Put the child down. As long as the child is unharmed, I will let you leave," Hua Ruoxu said calmly.
Nangong Feiyun didn't immediately put the child down. Instead, he carried the child slowly towards Ouyang Bing'er. When he was about three feet away from her, he suddenly threw the child at her.
Ouyang Bing'er quickly reached out to catch the child, but Nangong Feiyun suddenly lunged at her. Just as his hand was about to land on Ouyang Bing'er's shoulder, he suddenly plummeted to the ground like a kite with a broken string, Hua Ruoxu's sword embedded in his back.
The child in Ouyang Bing'er's arms cried out. Hua Ruoxu slowly glanced at the corpses scattered on the ground and sighed softly: "What a tragedy!"
"Feng'er, take care of things here. I have some things to attend to. I'll be back before dawn!" Hua Ruoxu glanced apologetically at the women, then his gaze fell on Hua Yufeng. After saying this, he hurriedly turned and left through the door.
**** *** ***
Hua Ruoxu rushed to Hua Tianxing's hut, where a beautiful fairy awaited his arrival.
Without a word, Hua Ruoxu tightly embraced her slender waist, lowered his head, and kissed her cherry lips, greedily sucking on them. Everything that had happened in the past few days was vividly clear in his mind.
That day, he had successfully destroyed the Poison Sect, but on his way back to the Hua Manor, he encountered Hua Tianxing. Hua Tianxing took his hand and, instead of returning to his hut, floated out of the city, heading into the deep mountains, finally stopping at a picturesque village with only a dozen or so households.
Hua Tianxing quickly built a delicate little wooden hut, simply furnished with only a bed, a table, and everyday items like bowls and chopsticks.
What happened that night was something Hua Ruoxu would never forget. At the time, he almost thought he was dreaming, until he woke up the next day and was certain that it had all really happened.
"Little brother, will you be my wife tonight?" He remembered Hua Tianxing looking at him with hazy eyes that day, when he was already drunk.
Even so, he shook his head, though he desperately wanted to nod. His last shred of reason told him he couldn't defile this pure and noble fairy.
However, later, when Hua Tianxing lay in his arms and his cherry lips kissed her, a terrible thought suddenly flashed through his mind. His subconscious drove him to ravage the beauty in his arms.
He tore her veil, wantonly violating her delicate body. Her skin was slightly cold, but he could feel the heat within her. He entered her body and began an endless, violent assault. Her body was covered with his unrestrained kisses until he finally reached the peak of ecstasy with her. Only then did he regain his senses, and at the same time, he suddenly understood everything about Hua Tianxing.
She was truly just a sword spirit. After a hundred years of cultivation, she could finally occasionally leave the Sword of Love to explore the vibrant world of mortals. The outside world was wonderful, but as a sword spirit, she felt helpless, for her time outside was very, very short. She didn't want to remain lonely and isolated within the Sword of Love any longer; she longed to roam freely and play without restraint. Finally, one day, she learned from an ancient text that spirits could exist independently of a sword, even transforming into ordinary humans. However, when a spirit left the sword, it was highly likely to vanish into nothingness at any moment. She pondered this for a long time, finally unable to bear the loneliness within the sword any longer. Even if it meant certain annihilation, she was determined to try.
Spirits were formed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and with sufficient spiritual energy, a spirit could detach itself from the divine being it belonged to. However, relying solely on absorbing spiritual energy to slowly accumulate enough would likely take a thousand years, and spirits had limited lifespans; perhaps they would perish before even a thousand years had passed. Humans are called the most intelligent of all beings, and this is not without reason. Humans possess powerful spiritual energy, and the most direct and quickest way for a spirit to break free from its attached divine being and even become human is to absorb human spiritual energy.
Hua Ruoxu finally learned that the Love Sword was originally entrusted to Hua Tianxing. After handing the Love Sword over to the Dajiang Escort Agency, she began to widely publicize the legend of the Love Sword, making people believe that it contained countless treasures and unparalleled martial arts. At the same time, she also made it known that the Love Sword was with the Dajiang Escort Agency. She only hoped that in the process of vying for the Love Sword, she could allow it to absorb enough spiritual energy. In fact, her plan succeeded; dozens of people died by the Love Sword during Jiang Qingyue's escort of it.
And after Hua Ruoxu obtained the Love Sword, especially after he learned some sword techniques, Hua Tianxing repeatedly influenced his mind. Hua Ruoxu suddenly became bloodthirsty on several occasions because of Hua Tianxing's influence.

The Sword of Love contained neither martial arts nor treasure. Although Hua Ruoxu actually obtained both, his martial arts skills came from Hua Tianxing, while Hua Tianxing acquired the treasure through dishonest means. For over a year, countless wealthy and unscrupulous people across the country had perished under her and the disciples of the Love Pavilion's sword, their wealth going to Hua Tianxing.
After successfully breaking free from the Sword of Love, Hua Tianxing hoped to become a true human. Although legend says that breaking free from the Sword of Love often leads to immediate divine retribution, she remained unscathed. Therefore, she believed that Heaven had shown mercy by not indiscriminately killing the innocent, as those who died by the Sword of Love were mostly deserving of death. She also used some of the looted wealth to help the poor.
She knew Hua Ruoxu's every move and could easily discern his thoughts. Finally, one day, she found herself beginning to envy the women around Hua Ruoxu. She knew she had finally fallen in love with him. Although she knew she held an irreplaceable place in his heart, she longed to be his true wife, even for just a day!
On the night Hua Ruoxu destroyed the Poison Sect, she finally became completely human. Fearing she might perish at any moment, she hastily sought out Hua Ruoxu. Hua Ruoxu, however, dared not defile her, so she had to once again control his mind, allowing him to do as he pleased with her.
For the sake of the Love Sword, the Great River Escort Agency was almost completely destroyed. Starting with the Love Sword conflict, the martial world began a period of intense turmoil, with countless martial artists dying in this catastrophe. Hua Tianxing could be considered the culprit, yet Hua Ruoxu knew he wouldn't blame her; he simply couldn't bear to, nor could he bear to, blame her. In his heart, she would always be that inviolable fairy, even though he had already defiled her. A low
,
slightly painful groan pulled Hua Ruoxu back to reality. He quickly released her lips and asked anxiously, "Sister, what's wrong?"
"Sister is fine." Hua Tianxing shook her head, looking up at Hua Ruoxu with tenderness and affection in her eyes.
"Sister, you don't look well. I... I'll take you back to see a doctor." Hua Ruoxu noticed Hua Tianxing's pale face, picked her up, and rushed outside.
"Little brother, sister is really fine, you don't need to worry." Hua Tianxing nestled obediently in his arms and whispered.
*** *** ***
A quarter of an hour later, in the Hua residence, Hua Ruoxu watched anxiously as Hanxue took Hua Tianxing's pulse.
"Xiaoxue, what's wrong with sister?" Hua Ruoxu asked anxiously as soon as Hanxue let go.
"Young Master, Sister Tianxing is alright, but something's strange. She seems a bit malnourished. Are you not feeding her?" Hanxue looked at Hua Ruoxu with curiosity, wondering how her young master could mistreat such a beautiful fairy sister.
"It's good that she's alright, it's good that she's alright," Hua Ruoxu murmured. Now, he was worried sick if Hua Tianxing was even slightly off, afraid that she might leave him at any moment.
"Young Master, Xiaoxue is a little sleepy, I'm going back to my room to sleep now." Hanxue yawned, stretched, and then went out. Before leaving, she glanced back at Hua Ruoxu and saw him holding Hua Tianxing tightly, so she gave him a playful face.
"Sister, no matter what, you must always be by my side and never leave me!" Hua Ruoxu whispered, holding Hua Tianxing tightly.
Hua Tianxing's delicate hand landed on Hua Ruoxu's face. She gently stroked his face, softly hummed in agreement, and nodded. With the help of her lover, Su
Dai'er
, the Palace Master of the Demon Palace, quickly quelled the rebellion. Nangong Feiyun and his Feiyun Hall were completely wiped out. On the other hand, Ye Bu'er's forces were also eradicated by Hua Ruoxu. This news quickly spread throughout the martial arts world, and now even a fool would know that no one in the martial arts world could rival Hua Ruoxu.
Under Hua Yufeng's arrangement, the cleanup work was proceeding in an orderly manner. That evening, when Sun Yunyan arrived at the Tianxing Alliance after escaping Fang Xia's entanglement, the fighting had ended. Nangong Xuanyuan's grief upon seeing his son's death was indescribable. When he learned that Nangong Feiyun was truly determined to kill Su Dai'er, he was utterly devastated. He did not seek revenge against Hua Ruoxu, but suddenly disappeared from Jinling, his whereabouts unknown.
After burying Ye Bu'er, Ye Wuying remained at the Tianxing Alliance, but became even more reclusive. Apart from Ximen Lin, she almost never saw anyone, and she avoided Hua Ruoxu from afar. Ouyang Bing'er and Gong Yaqian led the Snow Mountain Sect members away from Jinling. She wanted to take her parents back to Snow Mountain
for a joint burial. Hua Ruoxu naturally couldn't stop her, but she said she would come to find him soon, and they would take him to find Zhao Wan'er. Jiang Qingyue, however, still didn't know who had killed her family. She vaguely suspected that the masked man in black was Ye Bu'er, because their figures were very similar. However, Ye Bu'er was dead, and she couldn't confirm it. As for who had entrusted the Love Sword, she probably would never know in this life, because Hua Ruoxu and Hua Yufeng would never say. This made Hua Ruoxu feel guilty whenever he saw Jiang Qingyue.
Hua Yuluan wanted to find her real son, but she had no clues. Xue Youyou and Hanxue started causing trouble again, and Hua Feimeng was worried about her younger brother. Hua Feihua also seemed to have disappeared. Su Dai'er had already begun arranging her departure from the Demon Palace, while Hua Ruoxu spent most of his time with Hua Tianxing. However, today, he received an invitation—surprisingly, from the prefectural government office.
*** *** ***
Hua Ruoxu went to the office alone and met Zhu Zhu and Mei'er. When he heard the peerless princess he had met before address Zhu Zhu as "Princess," he suddenly understood.
"Should I call you Zhu Zhu or Princess Wushuang?" Hua Ruoxu looked at Zhu Zhu with a calm smile.
"My name is Zhu Yujie, my nickname is Zhu Zhu, and the Emperor bestowed upon me the title of Princess Wushuang. You can choose either name to address me," Zhu Zhu smiled sweetly.
"I wonder what brings the Princess here today?" Hua Ruoxu asked with a composed demeanor.
"Nothing much, just returning your precious son to you." Zhu Zhu smiled sweetly as Mei'er brought over a baby as delicate as a piece of jade. "Also, I'm betrothing Mei'er to you, and I hope Young Master Hua won't refuse."
"What?" Hua Ruoxu was taken aback. He looked at the child, who seemed to be his own son, and then at Mei'er, whose face seemed to blush slightly, looking somewhat shy.
"I will return to the capital tomorrow. If you have any questions, Mei'er will tell you." Zhu Zhu smiled slightly and stood up. "Young Master Hua, you can now take Mei'er and the child away. I hope you will treat Mei'er well."
*** *** ***
Hua Yuluan was finally certain that the child she had taken from Zhu Zhu was her own flesh and blood, and was naturally overjoyed. Hua Ruoxu asked Mei'er several times what was going on, but Mei'er gave evasive answers. When pressed, she inexplicably said: "Just ask the Princess later!"
Hua Feihua suddenly returned, bringing Lan Xuerou with him. How they found her remained a mystery. The day after their return, they left. Hua Feihua was returning to the Hua family in Chang'an to marry Lan Xuerou. Bai Xinjing and Hong Yue'er also left with them. Since the children were unharmed, Hua Ruoxu released them.
*** *** ***
Half a month later, Hua Ruoxu set off for Shaolin Temple. The night before his departure, he found Ye Wuying.
"Miss Ye, I know you believe I forced your father to his death. I don't want to explain now, but I hope you will come with me to Shaolin. There, I will tell you some things related to your father," Hua Ruoxu said to her. Ye Wuying didn't say anything, but the next day, she accompanied him, along with Wuchen, the last surviving member of Shaolin. Hua Tianxing, naturally, also stayed by Hua Ruoxu's side.
Hua Tianxing had been behaving normally during this time, and Hua Ruoxu gradually felt more at ease. Even so, whenever he went even slightly far from home, he insisted that she accompany him.
Hua Ruoxu's journey to Shaolin Temple served two purposes: first, to pay respects to Zen Master Jueyuan; and second, to rebuild Shaolin. Shaolin had been destroyed during his tenure as abbot, and it was both morally and logically his duty to ensure its resurgence on Mount Song. (

End of Volume Eleven, "Return of Love")

Epilogue :

Three months later, Shaolin Temple was officially completed. Hua Ruoxu passed the abbotship to Wuchen, who quickly received his first disciple—a person no one could have predicted: Nangong Xuanyuan.
At Zen Master Jueyuan's grave, Ye Wuying quietly watched Hua Ruoxu kneel in worship.
"Miss Ye, you should properly pay respects to your master, for he is your grandfather," Hua Ruoxu said, rising to Ye Wuying's side, his voice low.
*** *** ***
After returning from Shaolin, Hua Ruoxu disbanded the Tianxing Alliance, and Hua Tianxing disbanded the Qinglou. At this time, Su Daier formally passed the position of Palace Master to Sun Yunyan, and she, along with Liuyun, came to Hua Ruoxu's side. From then on, she was no longer the Palace Master of the Demon Palace.
Good news arrived simultaneously from the Hua family of Chang'an and the Zhao family of Jiangnan: Hua Feihua and Lan Xuerou, and Zhao Changkong and Huang Yingying, were finally united in marriage, having chosen an auspicious day for their weddings.
Hua Ruoxu returned to Mount Hua with the women. Hua Tianyun looked at Hua Ruoxu with reproachful eyes, yet also helpless. The next day, Hua Tianyun announced that he would pass the leadership of the sect to Hua Ruoxu.
*** *** ***
Hua Ruoxu never knew the secret between the four great families. Of course, now that only the Hua and Yue families remained, the name "four great families" was meaningless. Perhaps their secret was no longer of any use? But life is unpredictable; no one could know what the future held.
**** *** ***
Another month passed, and Hua Yufeng brought Hua Ruoxu good news: she had found Feixu, but Feixu had already become a nun. Hua Ruoxu went there directly and brought her back without a word. Feixu was helpless yet felt a sweet warmth at his almost barbaric methods, and then obediently stayed on Mount Hua.
Half a month later, Ouyang Bing'er arrived at Mount Hua from the snow mountain, and of course, Gong Yaqian accompanied her. Under Gong Yaqian's guidance, Hua Ruoxu arrived at the Goddess Nunnery.
"I have built a Buddhist hall on Mount Hua. If you want to chant scriptures and recite Buddhist prayers, you must do so on Mount Hua," Hua Ruoxu said to Zhao Wan'er.
"Can't we not go to Mount Hua?" Zhao Wan'er looked at Hua Ruoxu pitifully, "We can go to Mount Song or Mount Emei."
Hua Ruoxu was both amused and exasperated, and simply didn't bother to argue with her anymore, pulling her away.
*** *** ***
August 18th, Mount Hua.
Hua Ruoxu's second wedding.
There were many brides: Hua Yufeng, Han Xue, Ouyang Bing'er, Gong Yaqian, Zhao Wan'er, Jiang Qingyue, Hua Feimeng, Su Dai'er, Xue Youyou, and originally Mei'er, but she strangely and resolutely disagreed. Ximen Lin and Hua Tianxing also refused to attend the wedding for various reasons. Ye Wuying, though remaining at Mount Hua, maintained a distant relationship with Hua Ruoxu. As for Feixu, she said she was at most Hua Ruoxu's concubine and couldn't attend the wedding, so Hua Ruoxu didn't force her.
Just as the wedding began, Hua Ruoxu received an imperial decree, adding another bride. At this moment, Hua Ruoxu finally understood why Mei'er had refused to be a bride.
*** *** ****
The Emperor announced to the world that Princess Wushuang had finally married, and her husband was Hua Ruoxu, the current leader of the Mount Hua Sect. Furthermore, Hua Ruoxu was bestowed the title of "Guardian Marquis of the Nation."
After Hua Ruoxu's grand wedding, he built the Tianxing Villa. Because Hua Tianxing ultimately didn't want to be with others, he left her alone in the villa. Then, news spread from the villa that thrilled Hua Ruoxu: Hua Tianxing was pregnant.
Although Zhu Zhu had done many misdeeds against Hua Ruoxu, after marrying into the Huashan sect, she quickly became intimate with the other women. The women seemed to have forgotten her past actions and showered her with affection, leaving Hua Ruoxu frustrated but helpless, as he soon reciprocated her doting affection.
*** *** ***
The martial world finally returned to peace, and the various sects gradually regained their vitality. Fang Xia became the Kunlun sect leader again, but remained unmarried; it seemed his infatuation was beyond anyone's control.
Hua Ruoxu would occasionally take the women on excursions, and when passing the Demon Palace, he would always disappear for several hours, or even a whole day and night, with the women's tacit understanding.
*** *** ***
The sun was setting.
In the Tianxing Courtyard, Hua Ruoxu gently embraced Hua Tianxing, whispering sweet nothings that occasionally elicited her giggles. Beside them, in a cradle, lay an adorable baby, the fruit of their love.
What a heartwarming scene…

——The End——

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